Final Fantasy X The boy from Zanarkand
by J.D. Medina
Summary: The boy who dreams is to overcome his father at Blitzball, the hero of Zanarkand. Now A star player from the Zanarkand Abes he must show the people that he is better than his father but his hopes are crush when a monster arrive and swallow him, sending the poor boy to a far away land.
1. Chapter 1 Zanarkand

This is the preview of the unofficial novel Final Fantasy X The boy from Zanarkand.

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Final Fantasy X

The boy from Zanarkand

J.D. Medina

 _Listen to my story_

 _This may be our last chance_

Chapter I

Zanarkand

The night was calm, the stars shine bright in the heavens, lights flickered here and there, people walking and gathering across the city of Zanarkand. A city on top of the water and ground, machines here and there, it seems as if the future was there. A crowd is gathered, outside waiting for their favorite player. Hoping to see him before the game starts. They rush towards him as soon as they saw him leaving his house. A young boy appeared with purple cloak and walk behind the crowd. A young man walks outside his house, wearing his yellow jacket with blue protector on his left shoulder. A silver necklace decorated his neck with a J shape symbol on its middle. His brown gauntlet ready for the game and short pants for easy movement the young man was ready to give the crowd the best show they can get.

The boy walk towards the crowd, some of them had a white and blue ball with them. A small boy, brown hair, with white shirt and a piece of cloth around his neck walks towards him, his eyes filled with happiness, meeting his favorite player for the first time. "Can you sign this please?" Ask the boy with hopes that he signs his blitzball ball. The ball was round with blue lines around it and it has mountain shapes all around the ball for easy grabbing

"No problem." The young man smiled and accepted the ball and signed his name on it. He was happy, he felt loved by the crowd, their hero.

"Please!" Another boy with blue shirt and a yellow knit cap shouted, giving the ball to his hero. He was jumping up and down impatiently waiting for him to sign the ball.

"Alrighty." He replied with a laugh. He sign the ball and another girl next to the first boy also wanted him to sign the ball. She kept touching him and pulling his shirt. Even though he enjoys it, sometimes it gets on his nerves when the kids don't have patients.

"Me too!" Shouted the girl.  
"Take it easy." He took her ball and signs it as well.

A girl beautiful girl around his age approach him, she was wearing a pink jacket that cover only her top body showing her belly button and a brown pants. "Can I have your autograph? She asks shyly extending her own blitzball ball to him.

"Of course." He took it and sign the ball, winking to the girl he hand it back after he finished.

"Good luck tonight!" Another dark skin girl with red hair and a blue dress told him while handing her blitzball ball to him. He accepts it and thank her.

"Nothing to worry about." He smiled and winks at her while spinning the ball with one finger and hand it to her. "Oh if I score a goal…" He started to say to the two girls. "I'll do this!" He raised both of his hands making an L shape with his fingers. "That will mean it was for you, okay?" The girl's giggles and their faces turned red. "What seat?" He asks them so he knows in what direction he can make the sing to the girls.

"East block, in the front row!" Both girls shouted at the same time. "Fifth from the right!" The girl with pink jacket shouted.

"Got it." The boy said, he looked at the rest of the crowd, he thank them for going and rooting for him. "Well, gotta go, cheer for me!" He said smiling. The boys next to him were playing with the ball on his head, balancing it with precise movement that even for a boy his age it was good.

"Two, three!" The boy that was balancing the ball in his head with the piece of cloth around his neck shouted. "Teach us how to blitz!" all three boys shouted at the same time. The young boy was happy but he needed to go, it was already running late.

" Hey, I got a game to play!" he said to the boys, his heart sinking with sadness for they were so happy to meet him and wanted to learn how to play blitz like him.

"Then teach us after." The boy with the yellow knit cap replied. He wanted at least to know that he will teach them how to play like the pros.

"Maybe, tonight…um…well…" He scratches his head thinking on the best time he could teach the boys how to play. He remember his father, and the promises he never fulfilled, he didn't want to be like him, he wanted to be different, better.

" _You can't tonight."_ A young boy with the purple cloak, covered in weird symbols said. The young man looked at him in silent. Who was him? What does he wants? But there was something

"I mean… tomorrow." He replied to the boys.

"Promise?" The dark skin boy with the jumpsuit asks. His mind filled with hopes. The three boys putt the ball down on the ground and made the same movement at the same time. They put their hands on the air and made a circular motion and then put their hands in the middle and made what seems to be a box, bowing their heads at the end.

The young man was startled; he didn't remember that form of promise or greetings. He waved goodbye and walk towards the city, he was already late for the game. The city was beautiful, he never get tired of looking at it. There were tall buildings everywhere, with the lights that illuminated the streets, a city that never sleeps. The twilight filled his heart with warmth, the sun setting on the horizon.

Some building resembles waterfalls. Water falling down from the top of the building into the water beneath, bridges connecting the city every were, buildings with different shapes, some like spirals, others square likes and some round shapes. A man with long black hair appeared in some buildings on a screen. He wears a red bandana around his forehead, a scar on his left side of his face and the letter J marked in his temple. A silver gauntlet protecting his left hand, hold by a belt that goes around his neck and shoulder.

The young boy stops and resent the image of the man, for some reason he hated the man. He stop and look at it directly, his eyes filled with rage and sadness at the same time. He made a sign with his hand towards the screen and run towards the stadium. A voice from the speaker could be heard everywhere.

" _I was in a coffee shop, running away from home when I heard the news. Our hero, Jecht, gone…"_ His voices filled with sadness, he was just a boy when he heard the news, couldn't believe it, how come their hero was gone, how could it be possible. " _Vanished into thin air! My dad must have been his biggest fan. I knew how sad he'd be. Heck we all were that day."_ Childhood memories flash in the announcers mind. The young blond man running towards the stadium listening to what the man was saying, he too remembers that night, the rage, the sadness he felt _. "'Zanar,' I said to myself. 'What are you thinking?' I went straight back home. We sat up talking 'bout Jecht all night. My dad and I never talked so much. Whoa…"_ The announcer said, realizing that he went back in time remembering and talking about the past, forgetting that people were listening to him.

" _Didn't mean to reminisce folks. Anyway… Ten years later, the Jecht Memorial Cup tournament is today! The two teams that have won trough the finals are… of course, the Abes from A-East and the Duggles from C-South."_ He announce as the people sheers in the stadium and the street. _"I know there's a lot of people out there today to see the star of the Abes! In just one year, he's become the team's number one player! He's Jecht's blood, and the new hope for blitzball! What kind of super play will he show us today? Will we see his father's legendary shot? I don't think I'm the only one excited here, folks!"_


	2. Chapter 2 Baaj Temple

Chapter II  
Baaj Temple

The young boy woke up on top of a rock, surrounded by water and destroyed building. The sky was dark and thunders trikes here and there. No stars could be seen, the clouds block every view and he was all alone, in a deserted place. He adjusted his eyes to see if he could see something familiar but he was lost. "Anybody there?" He yelled hopeless to see if Auron or someone was there; but his words weren't replied by anyone. Total emptiness and solitude surrounded the young and frightened man. Just a bird right in front of him, a bird he had never seen.

"Auron!" He shouted again, the man that brought him into this mess didn't reply. "Hey!" He shouted once more and gave up, the bird that was right in front of him flew away, he followed it with his gaze and saw that the bird flew towards a building and thought for a second, 'maybe someone's is there.' He started to swim towards the building; the cold water seems to freeze his entire being. He swim pass several broken columns, and building, to him this was sort of a lost temple. He reach some stairs almost in front of the building and walk towards him. The chill air air made him shiver. But he kept walking. Now he reach what seems to be a bridge that led to the building.

"Will it hold?" He asks himself as he examine the almost broken down bridge. "Either this or swim." He started to walk as slowly as possible preventing any sudden movement. He stop and saw a statue of a man under the water and for a second he saw movement, bubbles appeared right next to it, he got scared and started to walk a little bit faster than before but the bridge broke and he fell into the cold water once more.

He started to swim once more towards the building and some creatures appeared swimming towards him. The three monsters attacked him; they were ready to eat their next meal. Even though they were water beast, they didn't have the advantage on the water, her too was good at swimming. As soon as he slices two of them another bigger and scarier beast broke from the wall behind them and ate the last beast that the boy was fighting with.

The beast was almost as big as the statues next to him; his long and scaly arms hit the boy once and almost knock him out of balance. Tentacles on the bottom of his body maintaining balance and some on his head with orbs of light, illuminating the place. It had a cage for stomach and was ready to eat him without mercy.

The boy didn't know what to do, can he escape the beast? He felt his life drained by the monster, the hit that he received had made him dizzy. He tried to attack it but it was futile, his attack didn't cause a single scratch on the hard shell. The monster opened his mouth and tried to eat him. The boy manages to evade it and swim as fast as he could towards a wall behind him. The monster crash in it and he was able to escape for a brief second. Searching for water the boy saw an escape, an open door, his chance of survivor. He swim as fast as he could, the monster behind him he thought he couldn't make it, he felt as he was slowly being pulled towards the mouth of the monster. He look back, he was about to die, the monster slowly and steady ready to eat him and when he look right in front of him he made it into the door. The monster crash into it and the door was block by boulders that fell due to the crash.

" _I had made it out of the frying pan… and into the freezer."_ The boy thought over and over again, it was colder inside the building. _"I thought I was going to die in this place."_

The boy venture inside the building, it was big and empty, the only thing there were hideous statues of monsters and more water falling from the roof. "So cold, need fire…" He shivered, trying hard to maintain his body hot. Right in the middle of the building were the remains of a camp fire, if he could only find something to burn to at least survive the night.

He venture trough the abandoned temple and found some dried old plant that were left forgotten by time itself on a pot placed on a wall next to the stairs. He kept searching to find something else he could use as a flint. The cold air rushing trough the window made his skin crawled, cold and numb he was starting to feel the world around him fade. He kept searching and on the other side of the building he found two rocks dried enough that he could use as a flint. With renewed hope once more he ran towards the center of the place as fast as he could. Reaching the middle of the place he started to hit the rocks as hard and fast as he could and in a moment the fire sprang to life. He lay on his back feeling the warmth on his body once more. He felt alive.

"I need food!" He shouted, though at least slowly but surely his body is being warmth by the fire, now his stomach is asking for food. Closing his eyes to forget about his hunger, he had a sudden flashback when he was at his house.

"What do you want?" He asks Auron angrily, He wanted to see no one, not in the mood for visitors. Thrown in his bed he held the ball in his right hand. Throwing it up and down, Auron at the door he felt sad for him.

"It was…" Auron started to say, he looked at the boy, he knew he was going to get angry but he didn't care and said it. "It was a bad call. Your team lost because of you." He finished saying, waiting for the boys angry comeback.

"You came to say THAT?" The young boy asks in disbelief, it is rare that he sees Auron and when he does see him he just appeared and said he made a bad called playing blitzball, just like his father.

"It's been… ten years…" He continue saying without paying attention to the boys anger. "I thought you be crying." This words cut him like knife, the same words his father use to tell him. The reason he hated him so much.

"Who me?" He asks angrily, why would he be crying, he made a bad choice and the Abes lost, no big deal there plenty of games that he can play and win. He wasn't perfect but was one of the best players out there; it is naturally that he lost some times.

The strange boy that appeared before, the one with the purple cloak. "You cried." The boy said without hesitation, almost as if making fun of him, as if everyone were making fun of him. He was not a small boy anymore.

He woke up angrily and saw the fire going out, he immediately started to bring the fire back, it was getting cold now. He tried hard, preventing the wind from hurting the fire. "Hey, wait! Wait! Don't go out on me! Just hold on!." He looked around to see if he can get more dried wood, but everything seems to be wet. "I'll get more wood!"

He stood up and tried to find wood but an creature was studying him. He notice and looked as the creature run towards him and jump. He grabbed the sword that Auron had left him and prepare to fight. "Give me a break…" The four legged monster seems like an abnormal dog with a huge tail on its back. He evade the poisoned leg of the monster as it tried to attacked him. He jumps, evading its tail and cut itwith a single slash. "Not to strong I guess." He said, but was he manage to do was anger the beast. The beast push him hard towards the wall, he blocked the legs that tried to hit his head over and over again. He manage to hit the beast on the belly but the sword just bounce off. "Right…"

He kept moving and attacking but couldn't do anything to the beast. From behind them a door burst opened with an explosion and a group of four men with mask and guns appeared, with them a woman with yellow hair and purple armor.

"You're on my side?" he asks in hopes that she helped him fight this creature. She walks next to him without saying a word and from her pocket she brought out a grenade that she threw it to the beast. The beast screech, it was hurt badly due to the explosion, the boy turned away as it did. He grabbed the sword, it was his opportunity and jump towards it and he pulled all of his strength into the attack and slices the head of the beast off. Orbs of light came out of the body of the monster and flew away.

He looked at the girl who in that moment took out her goggles. He looked closely at her and saw something weird, her eyes were different color. "Whew!" the boy said as he sat back on the ground. "That was a close one." He closed his eyes to rest them, the monster had scared him, it was a miracle that he woke up the moment he did or else he would had been food. The men that were with the girl surrounded him, one bald man grabbed his hair and pulled him up. The other three pointed their guns at him.

"Hey let me go!" He shouted, why would they be targeting him, are they going to kill him? He thought over and over, what was the point of helping him and then kill him.

"Fryd ec drec?"(what is this) One of the guys with blue bandana on is head asks. The boy didn't know that language, he had never heard it.

"Y fiend! Eh risyh teckieca!"(a fiend! In human disguised) answered the blond one next to him. Their guns still pointed at the young man.

"Oac! Ed ec cu!" (yes it is so)answered the bald man. The young man still struggling to understand a single word that they were saying.

"Fa gem med?" (we kill it?) One shouted and put his knife on the young man's throat. It was the time that he worried more for his life than before.

"Fyed!" (wait!)Shouted the girl that previously helped him. He thought it meant stop for the man that held the knife in his throat had stopped. Even though she might be on his side, he didn't dare to move or say a word. His life depends on her. "Fryd eve c risyh? (wait, what if it's a human?)She continue saying, hopefully for him it was something good.

The man pointed his knife towards the girl. "Drao yna dra cysa eh taydr." (They are the same in death.) He said to the girl.

She moved her head sideways. "E vunpet ed! Fa pnehk ed fedr ic." (I forbid it! We bring it with us." She said to them and approach the young scared man. Closing her head on his, he was confused and yet felt weird. "Cunno." (Sorry) She said and hit him hard in the stomach. The young man kneeled, with his weakness he crouch and lost consciousness.

The young man regained consciousness, he slowly looked around and in front of him there were two man guarding him. He tried to stand up and as soon as he did, one of them push him towards the end of the boat, he almost fell overboard. "Ced, lybdeja!" ("Sit, captive!) He said as he points his gun towards him

"Hey that hurts!" he said while touching his chest.

"Hu sujehk, rayn?" ("No moving, hear?) Said the other man while pointing his gun towards his face, the young man resign and let them do as they pleased. He stood still and didn't make a move.

"Woah… Okay" He looked at the ocean, staying still where he was. Wondering who were those people and where would they take him. The door at the end, that seems to be the entrance of the boat opened, the girl that fought with him came out with another man. He had a Mohawk and his temple was coved in tattoos.

He saw the girl and rage build inside him, why did she hit him in the first place, what did he do to them? He aks himself, the tattooed guy stop in front of him, he too wears googles. "Caynlr res!" (Search him!) He shouted. The girl force him to stand up and search every part of his body. He started to make some motion to see if the young man could understand him. Pointing at him and at the water, making if he was swimming.

"Right… whatever…" The young man said without any happiness. He could barely understand him but he figures they want him to swim with them.

"Tu oui hud cbayg?" (Do you not speak?) He handed a goggles to the young man and pointed at his face and at the water.

"I said I don't understand!" He answered, he was getting on his nerve, everything, this was weird enough for him to try and make an escape.

One of the men that was guarding him pointed his gun at the young man. " Ehcumahla!" (Insolence!) He shouted, he thought that he was disrespecting them.

"Fyed!" Said the girl holding him. "He said you can stay if you make yourself useful." She said to the young intruder. He was confuse and enraged.

"You..." He looked at her, startled. "You understand me?" One of the guards hit his head as soon as he turned. "All right, I'll work!" He exclaimed angrily. He grabbed the goggles and put them on.

He walks towards the edge of the boat, looking at some light at the distance. "We found some ancient ruins right beneath us." The blond girl said to him. She walk besides him and pointed towards the direction of the ancient ruins. "It's not active now, but there should still be some power left. We're gonna go down there and activate it…"? She said with hope as if what they had found still works, how could they, if it was ancient and underwater, it wouldn't work anymore. And then we should be able to salvage the big prize! Okay! Let's get to work!"

"Roger!" He walks towards the ledge of the boat and jump directly into the water. The girl followed right next to him. They swim trough the water following a big chain that was attach from the boat to the abandoned structure.

They reach what seems to be an abandoned ship of some sort; there were some lights still active on it. The young man was curious and amazed that the power was still running. They entered a hole and swim across the empty halls, at the end, it appeared to be a computer of some sort. The young man and girl tried to activate it and a door opened. They went inside, and it looked like they entered the engine room. A big column in the middle; they kept swimming and reach another room where they saw an engine. They started to work with it, moving the cables and pressing random bottom and the engine sprang with life.

The ship was filled with light in every direction. The young man was amazed, who created this sort of ship that up to this moment still works. They swim back to the entrance and outside the ship. Everything seems too had covered life, lights appeared everywhere but there was something else. Something he hadn't seen when he first entered the water. A ship waiting to be discovered, lying there, covered with rocks. They swim back to the surface into the boat.

"Fa vuiht dra airship!" (We found the airship!) said the first man that got out of the water. His enthusiasm was great and for the first time the young man saw him smile.

"Dra nalnutc fana nekrd." (The records were right.) said the old bald man.

"Huf, ruf du tnyl e dib?" (Now, how to drag it up?) Said the third man as they made their way into the ship, the young man followed them but were pushed back. "Oui, uidceta!" (You, outside!)

He was confused, he just helped out investigating the ship and now they won't let him inside the ship, he even was hungry. "Hey, I helped out, didn't I?" The door slam shut, he was left outside alone and cold again. Half an hour had past or so he thought his inside crawling and begging for food. "So hungry!" He was losing his mind, he haven't eating anything since the game. He heard footstep walking towards him; he didn't care to look until someone kicks his hand. He looks up and the girl was holding a plate with food. She places it right in front of him. It was the tastiest looking chicken and rice he had ever seen.

"Right on!" He started to eat as fast as he could, like he had never eaten before. He started to choke, searching for something to drink she handed him some water and he drink it as fast as he could.

"It's 'cause you eat too fast!" She said smiling.

He stood up stretch himself and turned to thanked her. "Hello there my name is Tidus." He said, remembering that they haven't introduced yet properly. "What is your name?"

"Rikku." She said smiling; it was the first time she had smiled since they had seen each other.

Tidus started to smile and laugh, she did understand him. "You really do understand!" He exclaimed, he was happy that someone could at least understand him. "Why didn't you say so earlier?" He looked at her suspiciously.

"I didn't get a chance to!" She responded. "Everyone thought oui were a fiend." She raised her hand, making a sorry gesture.

He looked at her confused. "Uh… 'we?'" Tidus repeated. Their language was confusing for him.

"Oh, 'oui' means 'you." She responded.

He thought for a second, Tidus still didn't know where he was or who they were. "Who are you guys, anyways?" he asks curiously wondering who these guys searching in the ocean for abandoned ships.

She walk towards the edge of the at the horizon she respond to his question. "We're Al Bhed. She turned towards him and smiled. "Can't you tell? Wait. You're not an Al Bhed… hater, are you?" She looked at him suspiciously.

"I don't know what an Al Bhed is." Tidus responded. He sure was a long way from home, not even knowing where he was or who his rescuer were.

She looked at him curiously, someone who doesn't know who the Al Bhed was, and he sure has no clue. "Where are you from?"

"I'm a blitzball player, Star player of the Zanarkand Abes! He responded with such confident. He was happy and proud of it, for an instance he remembers his hometown and felt homesick.

She was startled, Rikku haven't heard the word Zanarkand for a long time. "Did you hit your head or something?" She asks hoping he was just joking.

Tidus gesture his head, "You guys hit me." He finally said. She stood there searching the words the right words to say or what to ask.

"Oh… right…" what can she say, maybe he had lost his mind when they found him, amnesia or something. "Do you remember anything before that?" She finally asks.

And so Tidus told her everything there was to tell about Zanarkand… About his life there, blitzball, and sin's attack… and about how Auron and he were engulfed in this light. Tidus just said things as they came to his mind. But then he started to wonder.

After Tidus had told her his story, she felt sorry for him, he had lost his memories or something she thought. "Did I say something funny?" He asks, he didn't think his story was so funny.

She looked at him seriously with sadden eyes. "You were near Sin." She responded approvingly. "Don't worry; you'll be better in no time. They say your head gets funny when Sin is near. Maybe you just had some kind of dream?" she asks curiously trying to sound casual in hope she could convince him.

"You mean…" He started to say, confused, his story wasn't a dream, it couldn't be, dreams can't be remember as he remember his past. His childhood was real; everything he had lived in was real. "I'm sick?"

"Because of Sin's , yeah."

"You sure?"

Rikku put her hand on her head. "Yeah, there is no Zanarkand anymore…" She said, "Sin destroyed it a thousand years ago. So…" She looked at him directly into his eyes. "No one plays blitzball there." She turned her back on Tidus she was trying to be casual as she could be, but he looked confused. What he was saying the truth?

"What do you mean a thousand years ago?" He looked at her confused, he was just in there, in Zanarkand playing for the Abes, Jetch's championship. That was a day or two ago not thousand years ago. "But I saw Sin attack Zanarkand!" He approach her confused, This couldn't be happeneing. "You're saying that happened a thousand years ago? No way!" He exclaimed, she must be lying, everything is a lie.

Tidus walked around the ship, holding his head, like if it was about to fall down. "You said…" Rikku started to say, she didn't knew if to continue talking about the subject or not. " You play blitzball? You know, you should go to Luca." He said in hope to bring hope to him, to see if by watching the game or find someone he knows. "Someone might know who you are, or you might find someone you recognize."

"Luca…" He asks curiously. Rikku head hurt. She was trying hard to help him but he didn't remember anything. She walk around the boat thinking what to do.

"Okay, leave it to me! I'll get you to Luca, promise!" She pat on his left shoulder and smiled. "You'd rather stay here?" she ask trying to see if he would prefer to stay with her. Tidus turned and rejected, he wanted to go to this Luca place, it was something that at least could bring hope to him. "Okay, I'll go tell the others. Wait here." She walk towards the door but suddenly stop and turned. "Oh and one thing, don't tell anyone you're from Zanarkand, okay?"

"Yevon says it's a holy place. You might upset someone." She finish saying and turned her back and walk towards the ship. He was left alone once more to think about what he would do.

 _My Zanarkand… some kind of holy place? Yea right… I thought. Since when? Yevon? Sin? Luca? I thought. Sin had just taken me to a far away place, that I could go back in a day or two... But a thousand years into the future? No way…_

He waited for couple of minutes, sitting down in some old boxes. He grew weary of it and stood up, he walk around and kick the box, the ship and suddenly the boat started to shake.

"Sin!" One Al Bhed came rushing from the inside of the boat.

"Sin ec lusa!" Another Al Bhed shouted as he rush towards the border of the boat. A giant wave appears and was headed directly towards the boat and hit it again.

"Ihtan ic! Ihtan ic!" Shouted another Al Bhed. With another swift motion of its movement, Sin hit the boat once again, Tidus wasn't holding to anything he rolled over and fell to the water. Everyone looked helplessly as he falls into the water.

Everything seems to fade, the world around Tidus went black, into the nothingness his mind went, and everything went dark once more.


	3. Chapter 3 Besaid Bach

Chapter III

Besaid Beach

Tidus woke up on a beach; he looked around trying find his friend. "Rikku!" He shouted but nobody answered and then something hit his head, he turned to see five guys all shirtless wearing long yellow pants. Next to him he saw what had hit him, a blitzball. Finally something he recognized. He dived and hit the ball with his head, jumping; Tidus made his signature move, in the air he made his swift motion movement and hit the ball in the air.

The ball passes fast trough the guys at the beach head. The one in the middle, around 23 year old, with blue bandanna on his forehead and orange-red long quaff style hair.

Tidus swam to the shore towards what seems to him blitzball players. As soon as he did, he saw the guy with blue bandana talking with a red hair man that walked away, next to him a young boy who followed him. As soon as Tidus reach land, everyone gathered around him. "Yo! Hiya!" Tidus said embarrassed.

The guy with blue bandanna that had a silver necklace asks. "You wanna try that move one more time?" he was amused for that technique.

Finally, things were starting to look up, tried the move one more time, launching the ball to the air, everyone around him gave him some distance. He jump and hit the ball as hard as he could. "You're not amateur. Who you play for?" The blu bandanna guy asks him.

"The Zanarkand Abes!" Tidus rapidly answer without thinking on what Rikku said to him about mentioning Zanarkand. Everyone started to talk between them. Was he making a joke they thought.

"What team you say again?" The blue bandanna man aks again, he too was curious to know if he was joking or not.

"Uh," Tidus stopped and thought what he had just said. "I meant… Forget that. I got too, uh … close to Sin and my head's all foggy-like. So I don't know where this place is." He continue saying, he wanted to go home, he needed it. It was time for him to find a way back home, If only Auron was here. "Or even where I came from…"

"Sin's toxin got to you. But, you're still alive. Praise be to Yevon!" The man with blue bandanna made the same motion with his hand like the boys he gave his autograph before. " All right, back to practice." He shouted to everyone. To Tidus, he seems to be the captain of the team. Everyone else went back to practice. "I'm Wakka," Said the man with blue bandanna. "Coach and captain of the Besaid Aurhocs, brudda." He gave him his hand and salute him as a blitzball brother.

Tidus inside rumbles, Wakka heard them and laugh. "What you hungry? Okay! Back to the village. I'll get you somethin'!" He beckoned Tidus to follow him.

 _I feel like I could trust this Wakka, so I just had to ask…._

"It's true…" Tidus started to say, he was searching for the right words, if what Rikku's said was true, then Zanarkand is a holy place to normal people. "Zanarkand was destroyed, right? A thousand years ago? So it's just a big pile of rubble now, isn't it?"

Wakka looked amuse, he said something about Zanarkand couple of minutes ago and now he is asking about it. "Long time ago, there were a whole lot of cities in Spira, Big cities with machine… machines… to run 'em…" He started to tell the story. "People played all day and let the machine do the work. And then, well take a look." He gesture behind him and Tidus could see rubbles of cities in the island. "Sin came, and destroyed the machine cities. And Zanarkand along with 'em." He continue sayind. "Yea, that was about a thousand years ago, just like you said. If you ask me, Sin's our punishment for letting things get our of hand. What gets me, though…" He turned to think something, searching for the right words to tell Tidus. "Is we gotta suffer, 'cause of what some goofball did way back when! 'Course, we must always repent for our sins! That's important! It's just that, it's hard to keep at it sometimes, you know?"

 _It was just as Rikku said…Wakka and Rikku couldn't both be lying. Why would they?._

Wakka started to laugh weirdly. "But you from Zanarkand Abes.." Wakka put his hand around Tidus laughing. "that was a good one! Hey I'm not saying the team never existed, ya? But you gotta figure a team livin' in luxury like that'd be pretty soft eh?" He walked away and beckoned Tidus to follow him but he was lost in thoughts. Looking at the bright blue ocean.

 _I appreciated the fact that Wakka was trying to cheer me up. But at that time, all I could think about was... everything that happened to me - all of this – started with Sin. Maybe if I could find Sin one more time, I could go home! For now, I'd just live life until that time came. No more worrying about where, or when, I was. Sure it was hard not to think of home. But I started to feel better already. A little better...maybe._

Wakka beckoned him to follow. He walk towards a small cliff, underneath water, it was a river between two mountains.

It was a beautiful sight, flowers and trees everywhere. It wasn't like Tidus home, here he could feel connected with nature, back there it was all buildings and technology. Tidus was amazed by the beautiful nature of it, looking at the mountains and at the water beneath them he didn't saw Wakka walking slowly behind him and he push Tidus towards the water.

"What's the big idea?" Tidus ask as Wakka made his way towards the water. The kept swimming on the water, Tidus still was amazed on the beautiful scenario he was looking at. The water was crystal clear; he could see the bottom of the river. Tidus could see what left of some of the buildings that were destroyed long time ago.

Tidus lost Wakka, he stop and float looking around for him. All of the sudden Wakka appeared from behind him and grabbed Tidus. "Got a favor to ask." He said laughing.

Tidus knew where this was going; he knew Wakka wanted him on his team. "You want me on your team, right?" He asked the question already knowing the answer.

Wakka let Tidus go and he sank, soon after he surface once again and Wakka explained to him why he wanted him on the team. "A mayor blitz tournament's coming up. All the teams in Spira'll be there! It's so huge, I'm sure someone there will recognize you! Then you can go back to your old team, right? It'll be fun! What do you say, huh? Come on, come on!" Wakka wanted to help Tidus, but he had his own reasons for wanting Tidus on his team.

"Sure thing." With all that was going on, Tidus couldn't think about blitzball, with what he had learned he will never be able to return to Zanarkand, he was done for, stuck in Spira, in this era for the rest of his life.

"Dude!" Wakka laugh, this was an opportunity to win, at last he could fulfill his dream and win the cup. "Our team is gonna rock, eh?" He finished but Tidus was already swimming far away from him. He just wanted to stay there, in the water, sank and never come back.

 _I thought then that blitzball and Sin were the only two things that Spira and Zanarkand had in common. I wasn't too far off either._

They reach the mountain side, where they could see the village on around the corner. Tidus could see the whole island from there. It was the tallest peak on the island. Wakka stood on the edge of the cliff behind some ropes preventing people from falling and looked at his village. "This is where I was born," He started to say without anybody asking. "I started blitzball when I was five. Joined the Aurochs at thirteen…" He remembers his childhood, the first time he entered a game. "Ten years ago…" Memories flashes in his mind. "Ten years… and we never won a game. Well, after last year's tournament, I quit. Time seemed right." He started to walk towards the village, Tidus followed him. " So, after quitting, I got this new job, ya? But every time my mind wandered, I thought about the game."

Tidus looked at him; back in Zanarkand he won almost every game, being the new hero, right after his father. "Ten years without a single win'll do that." He said, trying to have pity on Wakka, but the truth is he doesn't know that feeling.

Wakka stop, His mind running wild remembering all those loses that he and his team had had. "My first match last year was my big chance. But…" His voice trailed off, he struggled to say the words. "But something else was on my mind… I couldn't focus." He finished saying.

"Nice excuse." Tidus spat mockingly.

"Hey Hey!"

"So you want to win the next tournament, go out with a bang, so what's our goal?" Tidus asks and turned his back from Wakka, analizing the situation, a team that had never won a tournament will be hard but they can do it, he is there to help them and they will win.

"I don't care how we do." Wakka started to say, his voice trailed off. "Long as we play our best. If we give it our all, I can walk away happy." He finished saying.

"Tidus turned quickly and rejected his idea. "No, no, no, no, no. If I say what's our goal, you say victory! When you play in a blitzball tournament, you play to win!" He finished educating Wakka, his words filled the poor man soul of hope.

"Victory? You serious?" Never in his life had Wakka thought of victory, he always play for fun and to do his best. Now Tidus had sparked a light in his heart, this time he have new hopes, he will play to win!"

With renew hope, they kept walking towards the village. When they almost reach the village the red head guy with the young boy with him stopped him. "The one from the sear!"

"Be on guard." The short man next to him started to say. "There are fiends on the road today." He finished saying and they left towards the village.

Tidus looked at them, "Who are they?" He asks curiously.

"Luzzu and Gatta… Crusaders." Wakka said, his voice trailed off just by mentioning the word Crusaders.

"Crews of what?"

"What?" Wakka asks in disbelief. "You forgot that too? Hey, sorry." He quickly apologies as soon as he saw Tidus sad face. "Don't worry it. I'll help you out."

"Cool, in return, come tournament time, I'll help make sure we take the cup!"

"Cool. About the crusaders, you can ask them yourself. They've got a lodge in the village." They both walks towards the village, Tidus was at least happy to have something to look up to, the game.

They both entered the village. Wakka opened his arms and gesture to Tidus to follow him. "Besaid Village." Wakka kept walking and stop, he asks Tidus if he remembers the prayer, Tidus didn't even know how to pray and thus Wakka taught him the prayer. It was the basic of the basic of someone living in Spira. After showing the prayer, Wakka told Tidus to go to the temple at the far end. Tidus did as he was told, while Wakka went for some food.

 _Any blitzball player would know that prayer. It was the blitzball sign for victory_. He never had prayed before, he didn't even know what to pray for; Wakka said they prayed for victory, but was it all right to play for victory?

 _I was then, standing in that place._

 _I began to realize how different this world was from my own._

He walked inside the temple, he was amazed with all the statues that were there, and how many people were praying at the moment. He gazed upon a statue of a man with a long staff.

"Ten years have passed since Lord Braska became high summoned." And old man started to say as he joined Tidus to admire the man statue. He looked as if he had long hair, and dress as a monk. "And finally we receive a statue for our temple…" The old man looked at the statue proudly, he was happy to see that statue, Tidus couldn't imagine why.

Tidus was confused and lost. He didn't know what the summoner was, he didn't know anything about Yevon, as a matter of fact, he thought for a second, what did he knows about himself. "What's a high summoner?" He asks, if he was there it was about time to understand what was going on in this futuristic world. What he didn't get was the reaction of all those around him. They looked at him startled, confused, was he joking? He walks into a temple and disrespects their ancestors? He quickly notice and tried to make an excuses to explain himself. "I… I got too close to Sin's…uh toxin…"

 _It was funny hearing myself makes the same excuse over and over. Funny, and a little sad…_

The elder monk felt sad for this poor soul who had lost all his memories due to Sin. He felt the need to explain him what the summoner were, to enlighten his mind. "The summoners are practitioners of a sacred art, sworn to protect the people of Yevon." The old monk started to say still admiring the statue of Lord Braska in front of him. "Only a chosen few become summoners, who call forth entities of greater power: the aeons." The aeons hear our prayers and come down to us. They are the blessing of Yevon."

 _So what he meant...was that we should respect some kinda_

 _great men or something like that...I figured_

Even though he was slowly learning, Tidus felt uncomfortable in the temple. He left to reach Wakka's house, hoping that the food was at least ready. When he arrived, there was no food ready, Wakka suggested that he take a nap and Tidus did so. He was tired; all of this was new to him. This world, this place, and this time everything was so different that what was raised on. Even though it was the future, he felt like if it was the past, a world without Machina, without technology a world without Zanarkand.

Tidus rested his eyes, wishing this world would simply vanish and returned to his home land. A man entered the tent and talked to Wakka, something he said triggered a memory. He was standing in his boat house; he was next to his mother. A man walk towards her, his sad face express great lost.

"It's been nearly a day already." He exclaimed, his words cutting like thousand swords into Tidus mother's heart.

"Perhaprs…" She search for the words, her thoughts seems to be lost, she struggle to speak, the words cut her throat as they traveled outside her mouth. "Perhaps you could go look for us." Her last hope in those words.

"People are searching for him now…"

"Thank you…"

Tidus approach his mother, his face filled with rage and at the same time happiness. "Who cares whether he comes back or not…" His words filled with anger as he said them.

Her mother looked at him, surprise; she never knew her son had this feeling towards his father. "But…" She struggled to controlled herself. "He might die!" She finally said, she didn't want to say those words, the very thought of her husband dying break her heart.

"Fine, let him!"

She looks at him, her face filled with tears, running down her cheeks as waterfalls. "Do you…" She couldn't bear to see her child like this. "Do you hate him so? If he dies… you'll never be able to tell him how much you hate him." She finally said, trying to convince Tidus to hope his father isn't dead, to at least have something to wait for.

Tidus woke up, no one there near him; he called out to Wakka but no response. He walk outside the tent, it was still bright outside. He walk towards the temple to see his he could find him there. As he entered the temple, Wakka was standing next to a stairs at the far end of the temple. He was worried, waiting for something, or someone.

"It's somethingworng?" Tidus asks as soon as he got near him. He could see that Wakka was worried.

"The summoner hasn't returned from the trial." Wakka said, and saw that Tidus didn't comprehend what he was saying. Wakka proceeds to explain the process to become a summoner, he explained the Cloister of Trials, which test summoners and Guardians alike, and beyond is where the apprentice summoners pray. "If the prayer is heard, the apprentice becomes a fully fledge summoner." He finished, Tidus still confused but trying to grasp all the information as much as he can.

"So someone is in there somewhere and they haven't come back out. Right … I got it." He lied, he understood the part of someone praying to obtained something, the aeons or something like that.

"A day already gone by…" Wakka mention in defeat, he was worried that something had happened to the summoner. Tidus couldn't understand why they had to wait, a full day had pass and the trials could be dangerous. He bursh the door opened without listening to the heed of the monk and Wakka. He dash trough the doors and entered the cloister of trials, Wakka behind him.

 _Maybe… this wasn't a good idea after all._

Wakka hit Tidus head; they both walk towards the Cloister of trials to complete it. Tidus had no idea what he had to do; Wakka helped him and explained the process of completing the trials. He moved orbs from one side to another, lights flickered and lines of lights dash from one side to another,

Wakka explained as to why Tidus couldn't enter the trials, only apprentice summoners, summoners and guardians can enter the trials. It was tradition. Tidus didn't understand the job of a guardian but he could at least imagine what they do. They reach an elevator at the far end of the trials and they went down.

"Summoners go on a pilgrimage to pray at every temple in Spira. Guardians protect them. The guardians in there now... One of them's got a short fuse, and who knows what the other is thinking. Well, now that we've come this far...might as well go all the way!" Wakka explained Tidus; he wanted to prepare him for the worst. They entered the room after the elevator stopped, In it there were two person standing still waiting at the bottom of a stairs.

One of them was a beautiful woman with black hair. Her dress was black, covered with belts on the bottom covering her leg, her cleavage was exposed and the left side of her leg could be seen from almost the top of where it began. On her hand she held a small tuff toy, a moogle. She look younger than Wakka but not too much, maybe a year or two younger than him.

The other person next to her was a lion like man. His long white hair reaches his biceps. His skin was blue like the sky and in the middle of his forehead there was a broken horn. It was difficult for Tidus to estimate how old he was, he had never seen someone like him before. His naked chest was held by two belts that form an X, in the middle there were a metal skull. On his hand he held a lance a feet or two longer than him.

"What are you doing here?" Ask the woman angrily, she looked at him with a weird anger that frightened Tidus. "Didn't think we'd be able to handle it?"

"No, it's uh…" Wakka was lost of words, he didn't know what to say. "It's just…" He tried to sound convincing but couldn't. he turned to Tidus for help, but he was helpless as well. "See, I told you she gets mad easily. The woman walks towards them, Tidus was concern about the summoners safety.

"Who are you?" The woman asks, she was curious, his face looks awfully familiar and yet, she knew he was someone else. Moments later, the door at the end of the stairways started to opened. Tidus looked closely, everything was new to him. He had never met a summoner before, or a guardian. The door opened and a beautiful browned hair young woman walks outside the room. Her pale skin looked perfect in Tidus eyes. She wears a white sleeveless shirt, but her arms were covered in a white leather that went behind her back. Her long purple skirt reaches out to her ankles. She was the most beautiful girl Tidus had ever seen.

She walks outside the room and tumble, her strength lost and she felled. Tidus quickly moved to protect her, to catch her as she falls, but the blue cat move faster than him and grabbed the girl as she fell. Everyone looked relief, the young girl tries to maintain balance and get on her feet. As she did she pulled her hair out of her face and for the first time, Tidus saw an angel. Her right eye was green and blue her other eye. Her hair hangs to her neck and she seems perfect to him. His heart beating faster than in a blitzball tournament.

"I have done it…" She said, her voice traveled as a sweet breeze that filled Tidus heart. Sweet melody, charming incantation; enchanting his heart and soul for the first time in his life. "I have become a summoner!"

The group walk outside the trials, many people was gathered at the entrance of the temple where many statues lay frozen in time. People wishing everything was all right and as soon as the group walks out of the door, their faces filled with hope. They knew that the young girl had succeeded in becoming a summoner, their hearts filled with joy once more.

 _Man, was I surprised. And here I was thinking…_

 _Summoners were all old geezers._

Tidus walks outside the temple, everyone was gathered waiting for something. The angel that had stolen Tidus heart was in the middle of a circle. She was ready to do something and everyone was waiting. Wakka called out to him and pull him near where everyone stood still waiting. Tidus tried to break free of his hold and the girl was ready to do the summoning.

She held on her hands a priestess long blue staff, on top of it had a circular symbol with the shape of tree leaf. She raised her staff to the air and placed the staff right in front of her, praying. Everyone waited silently, expecting to see something incredible. She separate the hands and lights covered her entire body, moving in a circular form going up towards the sky. The few clouds that had gathered part ways and from the orb of light that formed in the heaven a majestic winged beast appeared. It had long red hair, it's skin was brownish and purple. The bird like creature stops floating in mid air and approach its caster. The girl walks towards it and place her gentle hand over its head. Everyone gathered near the girl, cheering and rooting for her, Tidus waited from afar, he wanted to get near, wanted to say something but what?

 _I had never seen anything like it in my life. Sure, was a little scary but still… I could feel a kind of gentleness from it…'_

The creature flew through the air and disappeared. The girl bowed her head and said, "Her name is Valefor". As the great bird monster flew through the skies and disappeared in bright eyes.

 _I remember… that night, we talked for the first time… I didn't know it then but after that night… everything change. For everyone…. For me…_

That night, Wakka introduce Tidus to the team, everyone was gathered around the campfire. For the first time, the Aurochs had seen their captain cheerful over a blitzball game. Tidus was a bit shy with the team at first. He asks the team what was their goal, and they replied, ' _to do our best'_ at the same time. Tidus looked at them and at Wakka. It was time to tell them that they had a new goal a new purpose to play blitzball.

"We got a new goal now." Wakka said to them, his face showing determination for the first time. "Our new goal is victory!" He shouted. The Aurochs were confused, Wakka want to bring back the cup to the island, to defeat all those who opposed them. The team quickly got the gripped of this new goal, their hearts filled with hope as well as their captain. T had been such a long time since they had thought about winning, well most of them never thought that at all. Tidus looked at the young girl, for a second he thought he was dead, his heart forgot how to function correctly and it beats in intervals of several seconds. She looked at him and gave him a smiled that brought him back to reality, she was real.

Arming with strength, he walks towards the girl; some of the elders stopped him in his track, accusing him of being a heathen for trespassing the temple as he did. The young girl stood up, she gave the elders a smile and walk towards him. "I'm Yuna." The sweet angel said to Tidus, his heart racing faster than the players chasing a ball. "Thank you so much for your help earlier."

Tidus was confused, he didn't help her, in fact he wasn't supposed to enter in the first place. "I'm sorry…" His word seems to struggle to reach out of his moth. "About that. Wasn't that… Wasn't I not supposed to… Guess I… kind of overreacted." He was able to say, hardly finishing a full sentence.

An awkward silence fell between them, both of them searching for words to talk about something. "I saw that aeon thing. That's amazing." He manage to form a conversation, without even thinking straight on what to say, for a moment there he thought he had embarrass himself but…

"Really? Do you think I can become high summoner?" Yuna asks happily, that is her heart desire, Tidus could see the hopes in her eyes. He nods and Yuna felt happy. A kid walks towards Yuna and asks her to play with her. "So tomorrow, then" She said cheerfully.

"Tomorrow?"

"We're going on the same boat, aren't we?"

"Oh really?" Tidus had no idea they were going on the same boat, yes he remembered Wakka mentioning that he will get him to a blitzball tournament but never imagine that he will have more time to spend with Yuna.

"We can talk more. You can tell me all about Zanarkand!" Yuna said and she walks towards the child that was waiting for her to play. Tidus got startled for a moment, she was the only one interested in listening about Zanarkand, his Zanarkand, the one from one thousand years ago.

Wakka walks towards Tidus, he could see Tidus intentions. "She's cute, ya?" He push his back looking at Yuna play with the child. Tidus looked at her, she wasn't just cute, she was… perfect.

"Yeah." He said without hesitation

"Don't get any ideas." Wakka recommended. His voice serious in the way he said it. He was his guardian and he have to protect her from anything.

"No promises there, big guy." Tidus looked at Wakka and then back at Yuna who is now sitting down talking with the elders. "Hey, but what if she likes… come on to me?"

"That's not going to happened, if you get tired, let me know, I had a bed made for you."

Tidus wish he could stay longer looking at Yuna, but it was already late, his dried eyes giving up on him. He walks towards the tent and fell asleep.

Tidus woke up, he was towards Yuna. They were all alone in the port waiting for the boat. "Where is that boat?" He asks her confused. Weren't they were going to another island or something?

"Everyone will find us if it doesn't come soon." Yuna answered, her eyes looking at the big old blue in front of her.

"You really sure this is okay?"

"Would you take me to Zanarkand?" Yuna asks him, she wanted to go there, to his Zanarkand.

"Hey." Tidus heard a familiar voice. "You said you'll go with me." Rikku appeared out of nowhere and point at him suspiciously. "I thought Wakka told you not to get any ideas." She remembered him. "So you commin' with me." She finished.

Yuna turned to look at the ocean, she wanted to go there. "Hey! Stop dreaming!" A voice that Tidus haven't heard in a long time called out to him. "You with a woman? You can even catch a ball! Oh, what's the matter? Gonna cry again? Cry, cry. That's the only thing you're good for!" Finished his father, bothering him, one of the reason his hatred grew to its level.

"I hate you!" Tidus said, his voice barely audible for the rest to hear.

"You have to speak louder." Yuna told him.

"I hate you!" He screamed but they couldn't hear him. "I hate you!"

"I hate you!" Tidus woke up abruptly, it was all a nightmare. He heard the voice of a woman outside the tent. He close in to hear what she was saying.

"He's dead, okay? Dead!" It was the same bad tempered guardian, quarreling with Wakka. "He does look a lot like Chappy. I was surprised too, the first time I saw him." She said to Wakka, her voice mixed with anger and frustration. "But no matter what he looks like, he isn't Chappu. You shouldn't have brought him here in the first place." She finished, waiting for a good respond from Wakka although she knew he wasn't going to give one.

"Yeah, but… he needed our help!"

"Excuses again?"

"Yeah, but…" Wakka was lost in words, he understood that Tidus wasn't this person called Chappu, and his intention was pure. He wanted to help him.

"That's it. No more. Enough Wakka!" She turned her back on him, she was tired of Wakka's excuses over and over again. Wakka walks towards the tent, Tidus waited for him, it had to do with him, he needed to know why she was so angry with Wakka for trying to help him out.

"Scary." Tidus said as Wakka entered the tent, he could see the frustration in his face. "So who's Chappu?" He asks quickly before Wakka had time to evade the topic.

"My little brother, Chappu." Wakka looked at him, he could see the resemblance, no matter how much time he looked at Tidus, the girl was right, he wasn't Chappu, Chappu was dead. But at least he could have someone to talk to even if it was just for a little while. "He looked like you."

"He's death?"

"He was with the Crusaders when they fought Sin last year…" He started to remember, sitting down he recollected the memories of his brother. "He didn't make it. I first heard on the day of the tournament." He finished.

"Oh, so that's why…" Tidus remembered when he accuse Wakka of making excuses about last year tournament, he felt really bad inside. He didn't knew the story of Wakka's brother death, that news would break down anyone.

"I became a guardian to fight Sin, ya?"

"Revenge, then?"

"That was the idea. I'm more worried about a stupid game now than avenging my brother. Well, after the next tournament I'll be a guardian full-time. I know it kinda looks like I'm using you… but I'm not.

Tidus could feel the guild in Wakka's voice. "Don't worry. I mean, I owe you a lot. You really helped me out, you know? What I mean s…" He stood up and extended his hand to Wakka. "Thanks, Wakka."

"Stop, you're embarrassing me!"

On the next day, they all prepare to leave Besaid Island. Wakka woke up Tidus and before they leave the village, he gave Tidus a blue water-like sword. The same style Auron gave him in Zanarkand, the one he had lost. Lulu argues to Wakka, it was Chappu's sword, but he never used it. Wakka explained why they had to wait Yuna there, he explained that She arrived ten years ago when the calm begun. She became a sister to Lulu and him and since then, they had always been together.

They walked at the edge of the cliff, praying for a safe trip. After they did so, they walk down cliff towards the port. While walking they encounter several beast, flying beast, element beast and Wakka and Lulu thought Tidus about the elements of monsters and how to defeat them. They encountered a flying fiend that Wakka took cared with a single blow. Tidus got charged of a wolf like fiend. Lulu was charged with a flans, an elemental fiend with a jelly type body. Half way there, they heard a roar from a distance. The blue lion type man appeared jumping from side to side right in front of Tidus. Tidus fell on his back, pulled out the sword that Wakka gave him in order to protect himself. He looked angry, Tidus didn't know what he had done to him to make him mad. Tidus fought the blue beast, demonstrating his agility evading the beast land and attacking him. The beast was slower than Tidus but it jump high and pierce the ground beneath him.

Wakka stopped the fight; the blue beast looked directly into Tidus eyes shook his head and walk away. "What's with that guy?" Tidus asks, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Kimarhi Ronso, of the Ronso tribe." Lulu explained. "He's learned the fiends' way of fighting."

"That's not what I meant!" Tidus exclaimed angrily.

"He's another of Yuna's guardians." Wakka explained him.

"Sometimes we don't understand him either." Yuna interrupted. "Kimahi doesn't talk much anyway. But he has protected me since I was a child." She explained apologizing for Kimahi's behavior.

The party continue their way down cliff. Soon after, they encountered a flying giant fiend. Tidus suggested Waka that that was his department. Wakka agreed but it was too big for him to handle with his blitzball. Yuna took charge, she called forth Valefor and immediately the aeon use her laser attack and instantly killed the fiend. Tidus was amazed by its power, if it was that strong, then their journey will be easier than he thought.

The party reaches the shore, they quickly got on the boat that was about to departure and their new adventure begins. Tidus was excited, for him; it had been so long since he had been in a boat, under normal circumstance without having a gun pointed at his head.


	4. Chapter 4 SS Liki

Chapter IV  
S.S. Liki

The sea was calm, the soft breeze touch gently Tidus face. His blond hair moving calmly as it pass right trough. He moved side to side in the boat, back in Zanarkand wasn't like this. He enjoyed the view, the fresh air the paradise. He sport a man looking with binoculars and wrestle for them. He manages to take the guys binocular and started watching everywhere till he spotted Yuna. His eyes fixed in her he didn't notice when the owner took his binoculars back.

"Come to think of it, I haven't told you where we're going!" Wakka walks beside Tidus, his eyes aiming the same direction Tidus was looking. "First to Kilika Island, then we change boats and head for Luca. 'Fore that, though, Yuna's gotta pray at the temple. I'll be guarding. We'll be praying for the Aurochs victory, too, so you come along, ya?"

"Great plan." Lulu gestured, she didn't had hope of them winning. Why would she, the Aurochs had never won a single game.

"Hey it's a great plan!"Wakka reclaimed. For the first time he had hope of winning, with Tidus help they could bring the cup back to the island. Tidus walks inside the ship to see how the ship was run with, if machine had been prohibited/ He met O'aka the XXIII, and found the engine room which was powered by great large birds. Those birds are known as Chocobo.

Tidus walks outside of the ship and saw Yuna, he walks towards her, she was surrounded by many people who were talking with her and amongst themselves. He manages to hear a name he previously heard in the temple. Lord Braska. So Yuna was the daughter of the man that brought the calm ten years ago. He tried to figure out the details, like him, she wears a heavy burden on her shoulders, carrying their father's legacy, trying to be they but bearing a name of importance to the world. He remembers each of his game, the announcer and the fan always wanted to see his father's technique, he became famous only because his father was famous. He tried hard to be the star by his name, forcing the people to like him because his skills.

Tidus walks towards her; they both look at the ocean. "You're a blitzball player, aren't you? From Zanarkand, right?" Yuna broke the silence, for the first time he believed that someone at least believes him about Zanarkand.

"You hear that from Wakka? Wakka doesn't believe me at all." He looked away, his eyes lost in the deep ol' blue but his mind absent from reality.

"But I believe you! I've heard, in Zanarkand...there is a great stadium, all lit up even at night! Great blitzball tournaments are held there, and the stands are always full!" Tidus looked at her, how she could possibly know about Zanarkand, the tournaments, it must be a coincidence. Maybe she is trying to cheer him up, but…

"How do you know that?"

"A man named Jecht told me. He was my father's guardian." Tidus looked amazed, it couldn't be his father, he a Guardian? No I couldn't be, he barely could guard his family… himself.

"My father..." He thought the word; they felt like venom coursing through his tongue. "his name is Jecht!

Yuna Stop staring at the ocean and looked at him, she was amazed, it wasn't just a coincident for her, it was fate. Her father's Guardian was Tidus's father. Yevon has a purpose in their encounter, She was sure of it. "Amazing! You know, our meeting like this must be the blessing of Yevon!"

A brief hope came back to Tidus, but it couldn't be. His father... He… He was dead, that's the fact and he wasn't able to let him know how much he hates him. "Sounds like him, but it can't be him."

"Why not?"

"My old man," Tidus closed his eyes, remembering that night when some men came running one night, indicating that his father couldn't be found. "he died. Ten years ago. Off the coast of Zanarkand."

"I'm sorry."

"He went out to sea for training one day...and never came back." He continues on, for the first time he had spoken with someone about his father, unlocking the chest of emotion hidden deep within. "And no one's seen him since."

"Why," that's the day that Jecht came to Spira. It's true! I first met Jecht ten years and three months ago!" Her face filled with joy, it was true, it has to be, it couldn't be just a coincidence. The dates fits. "I remember, that was the day my father left. The date fits, doesn't it?"

Tidus looked at her, there was no way. He had accepted the fact that Jecht, his father was dead. There was no possible way but still… "Yeah… but how would he get here?"  
Yuna smiled, she didn't know the answer to his questions but, it wasn't just a guess it was true. "You're here, are you not?" If Tidus somehow was transported to the future, it's a possibility that his father was too. He was never found, no sign of him at all, so maybe just maybe…

His thoughts were broken by a sudden movement of the ship. Something had hit the ship on its side, Yuna almost fell but Tidus held her hand. Some of the people that were on the ship fell, others ran to see what had happened.

"Sin!" A man shouted as he ran towards the harpoon. Wakka argues with him, if he sticks the harpoon in Sin, they will all be dragged into the water. But the man didn't care what Wakka was saying, he wanted to distract Sin, to protect the people on Kilika, their families. The harpoon hit Sin's fin, in that second the boat was being dragged by Sin towards it. Lulu, Wakka and Yuna started to attack Sin's fin to see if they could change its course. Tidus was left looking at them, he couldn't jump towards Sin, who knows what would happen, another jump into the future, he wasn't going to have that chance.

Sin's spawn hit the boat; Tidus slash them as soon as they land. He wasn't going to let anything hit his friends. While he protects them from Sin's spawn, Lulu kept casting her dark magic. Fire blazed trough the skies burning Sin's fin. The moogle doll that she held in her hand was now standing, it imitates her every move. Ice surrounded her and dash through the air hitting it, but it had no effect at all.

Wakka kept throwing his blitz ball towards Sin, like Lulu's magic it didn't had any effect. Yuna had called fort Valefor, the aeon attack Sin with dark magic and her laser beam attack. Everything they did was futile, not a single scratch was made. Sin broke loose form the harpoon and dived into the water. Everything was peaceful again but… some people feared the worst. Wakka turned around trying to find Tidus, he wasn't in the boat.

Wakka quickly dive into the water searching for him, he wasn't just a ticket to win the tournament, and he was part of the team. Despite his lack of experience fighting, he protected Yuna with all his might. He found Tidus being attacked by some sins spawn; he quickly killed them and took Tidus to the boat again.

 _The sun was setting, the wind was gentle. The beautiful sea shines with the last ray of lights. Some children play in the sand, others run along the bridges. A mother sitting down, breastfeeding her baby child, cradling him so he would fall asleep; singing the baby a lullaby. A small boy pulls his mother skirt, pointing at the sea. His mother looked and her mouth drop, a giant wave was headed their way. The people started to run towards the island. Trying to find cover and save their life. The wave was faster than expected in an instance it had reach the shores. A harsh wind blew the planks of the bridge, the small houses were been torn apart by the harsh wind._

 _The people tried to hold to anything they could find, trying to survive, but the wind was too strong. A giant monster appeared from the water, in a sudden second, everything was being torn apart, being pulled by the monster. What was left of the woods and bodies floating all around it. The ball that the small boy was playing with drifted away, desolation…_

 _When Sin attacked Zanarkand that day,  
I woke up in Spira. I kept hoping it would work in reverse, too._

"I will defeat Sin… I must defeat Sin…" Those words filled Tidus heart with rage. Why would that monster kill innocent people? Why would it… Everyone felt the pain and sorrow of loosing loved ones. They knew Sin had attack Kilika, they could feel it in the air.

 _I was just fooling myself. Maybe it was that day...on the sea, under the burning sun. I started to give up hope. I was in a foreign world, I wasn't going home. This was my new reality, and I was stuck in it for good._

The ship disembarks on what was left of Kilika's port. Everyone started to walk off but Yuna, she ran by, passing around everyone. She felt that it was her duty, to help the people in Kilika. To send them. There were no summoner around; she accepted the job to perform the ritual. The people accepted, they feared they would become fiends if they are not sent. Yuna walk with the people of Kilika towards the place of the chaos and talk to them. The Aurochs started working with the repairs to help as much they can, while Tidus went after Yuna.

Tidus was confused, he didn't know what the ' _sending_ ' was, he asks Lulu and she explained to him what was the sending. "The dead need guidance. Filled with grief over their own death, they refuse to face their fate. They yearn to live on, and resent those still alive." Tidus looked at the small orbs floating on top of the dead bodies. "You see, they envy the living. And in time, that envy turns to anger, even hate. Should these souls remain in Spira, they become fiends that pray on the living. Sad, isn't it? The sending takes them to the Farplane, where they may rest in peace."

Yuna walks on top of the water, Tidus had never seen someone walking on water, the grace she has while walking it was angel like. She closed her eyes and started dancing. Moving her staff from side to side in a slow motion, the people in Kilika mourn and cried. It was the last time they would see their loved ones. The orbs around the dead bodies started dancing with Yuna. Fires turned blue, the water elevated Yuna higher, dancing gracefully as a swan on a mystical lake. Tidus couldn't get his eyes of her, he was mesmerized. Yuna finished the dance; the orbs flew to the sky to reach the farplane, the place for the soul to rest.

With a soft pain in his chest, Tidus looked at Lulu. "It must be tough being a summoner."

"Yuna chose her own path. She knew from the beginning what it meant. All we can do is protect her along the way. Until the end."

"Until the...end? He was left with the questions to float in his mind. What's the end?" he spoke louder than normal, everyone looking at him.

Lulu shook her head and walk a few step from him, turning her head slowly she looked at him directly into his eyes. "Until she defeats Sin."

Yuna was worried, she didn't know if she had done okay, but Lulu reassure her that she did perfect but not to cry next time.

 _I wished there would never be a next time.  
No more people being killed by Sin.  
No more sendings for Yuna.  
Everyone stood there watching her.  
It was strange, and somehow... horrifying. I never wanted to see it again._

…

The next day, the party woke up early; they headed their way to the temple so Yuna can pray on the temple of Kilika. There she would find another aeon if everything went well. Wakka explained Tidus that they will pray for victory on the temple, that one of the greatest player of blitzball use to live in the temple, Lord Ohalland, a high Summoner. He explained that the only thing that the people of Spira had to hope for was blitzball. Something they can use to take their minds of Sin.

They walk towards the jungle to reach the temple. At the entrance, Yuna stopped, she had to ask Tidus a question, she wanted him to be her guardian. Wakka objects, he was a newbie in the art of fighting, he barely can protect himself. But Yuna wanted him with them, somehow, she thought, that he has to be with them. Her thoughts running wildly, lost in words Lulu suggested to go to the temple and talk about it after she had obtained Kilika's aeon.

During their travel on the jungle they encountered some monsters, the Dinonix a green lizard with sharp claws, it movements are quick and hard to hit. Another monster was a abnormal wasp that the sting can poison a person with just one touch, the killer bee. The yellow element, a element base monster and ragora a vicious plant that shoots it seed at high velocity.

They reach the stairs that leads to the temple. The Aurochs were preparing to race towards the top. Tidus laugh and prepared himself. Yuna ran first of all of them, trying to win, Tidus was left behind and as he ran up the stairs, the Aurochs players rush down the stairs screaming. A Sins pawn was on the middle of the stairways. A monster hidden in a shell, and next to it, it had tentacles that were use to attack them. Tidus dash trough the air moving swiftly as he cut one of the tentacle with ease. Wakka providing support to Tidus from behind. Kimari, Yuna and Lulu were attacking the other tentacle and as soon as they cut off all the tentacles the beast shows its true face. It was an octopus plant type monster that spit venom. The beast spit Tidus its venom, Yuna protected him by casting a mirror at the exact time, protecting him. Yuna then cast Valefor who rush down from heaven launching its laser on the Sin's spawn destroying it.

Tidus was exhausted, trying to catch a breath, Wakka was surprised that Tidus was able to handle himself against the Sin spawn. They explained what it really is to Tidus. If they don't kill it in time, Sin would come back for it, creating more chaos than he had done.

 _That moment when Wakka told me I had talent in battle...  
I think that was when I started seriously considering becoming a guardian._

While walking the few steps that was left, Wakka wanted to asks Tidus a question he had on his mind for some time now. "So, uh...they got fiends in Zanarkand, too?"

Tidus answered without thinking. "Just a few. It's a big deal when one shows up, though. Hey!" He stop, Wakka never believed him about Zanarkand, now he was asking about it, what was the big idea. "Since when have you believed me about Zanarkand, anyway?"

"I been thinking. Maybe people Sin gets to don't die. Maybe Sin carries 'em through time." He puts his thoughts into it, he wanted to believed so, that people who get near Sin don't die, that they are simply in a different land or time. "Like a thousand years through time. And then, one day, maybe they just pop back, see?"

Lulu stop, she had enough with Wakka and his theories, it was time that he accepted the fact, his brother was dead. Chappu was dead. "Amazing. Simply amazing. You make up one theory after another, refusing to face the simple truth. Sin didn't take Chappu anywhere. Sin crushed him and left him on the Djose shore! Your brother won't just pop back." She started to walk away but stop, something else was on her chest and she needed to take it out. It was time, the only time she could tell everything she feels. "Oh, and one more thing. No matter how much you want it, no one can take Chappu's place. No one can replace Sir Jecht, for that matter. And there's no replacement for Lord Braska, either. It's pointless to think about it, and sad."

Wakka sat down on the stairs, his heart aching with sorrow. No matter what he thought, no matter how many theories he comes up to. Lulu was right, his brother is dead and he will never be his brother. "I...I could never be what Chappu was. Well, stuff happens. Best not to worry." He tried to act tough but Tidus could see it.

 _Wakka, Lulu, and Wakka's brother Chappu. Something had happened between them a long time ago. I was sure of it. Well, whatever it was, it was none of my business, that's for sure. Best not to go there._

The temple was spacious; in the center it had an orb that emanates a warmth light that Tidus felt healed by it. Walking to the temples door, three guys dress in purple sleeveless shirt, moon on each side of the chest and golden glove walk towards Wakka. The one with red hair, the leader mock Wakka. He states that the Luca goers always win the blitzball tournament. He mocks the Aurochs goal, 'do your best'. Tidus clench his fist, he didn't know this guy but he didn't like his attitude. He maybe a player but he was no sportsman's. They didn't respect others team and that made Tidus mad.

"We'll beat them. We have to!" Tidus whispered.

Yuna approach him, she didn't thought he would know them. "You know that team?" She asks Tidus.

"Putting people down…" He remember his dad, they were the same, thinking they were the best. "They're as bad as my old man!"

"But… Sir Jecht was a kind and gentle man!" She shouted. Are they talking about the same Jecht? The one she met was kind, the one Tidus speaks about seems to be a monster…

"Well… not my Jecht."

 _Even ten years after he left...  
just thinking about my old man got me angry.  
But maybe that was just my way of keeping him... Nah._

The party walks inside the temple, fire decorated the temple in every corner. No one was kidding when they called it the temple of fire. It was the same as Besaid temple, Statues of previous High Summoners decorated the temple. Tidus tought for a second, how many lives had ended trying to stop Sin, how many more had manage to end Sin's life just for a short time, 10 years… Wakka walks at one of the statue that was near the stairs to the Cloister of trials. It was Lord Ohalland's statue, he kneled and prayed, his faith growing each day, to be able to bring the champion's cup to the island, to break the 10 years losing streak.

Tidus walks beside him, he didn't know if it was all right to pray for a game, to even pray at all. Praying to the death for luck wasn't his idea of a good idea but… He did so, for Wakka's sake. As he did and Yuna walks towards the chamber, a woman walks out of the Cloister trials. She was almost naked, her body only covered on the sides by a thin layer of cloth, united by strings intertwined. Her hand had a long purple and golden gloved, dark skin and brown long hair. A strong build man was next to her, his naked body showed his perfect muscular chest.

She was another Summoner, by the named Dona. She mock Yuna for being the daughter of the High Summoner Braska. A girl only famous by her father's name. She also mocks the amount of Guardians she has, Lord Braska only had two, and Dona only need one. "Dona. So, you're High Summoner Braska's daughter. That's quite a name to live up to. My, my, my... And all these people are your guardians? My, what a rabble! As I recall, Lord Braska had only two guardians. Quality over quantity, my dear. Whatever were you thinking? I have need of only one guardian. Right, Barthello?" Her voice infuriating Yuna's heart.

"I only have as many guardians as there are people I can trust. I trust them all with my life!" Yuna almost screamed at her, she loved her guardians, she was happy to have so many people on this dangerous and lonely journey. "To have so many guardians is a joy, and an honor! Even more so than being my father's daughter. Of course, I would never think of questioning your ways, either. So, Lady Dona, I ask of you: please leave us in peace."

 _A guardian is someone a summoner can rely on. Someone she can trust with her life. I wondered, did Yuna feel that way about me? What's she smiling about?_

Lady Dona walked away, Yuna still watching her, clutching her fist, hiding them so no one would notice, but Tidus knew. They went to the Cloister of trials at the elevator, everyone got in but before the descend, Kimahri push Tidus outside of the elevator. Lulu explained that he wasn't a Guardian, it is forbidden for him to enter the Cloister. They descended and left Tidus to wait, alone.

What would he do, if Yuna spent a day on Besaid praying, how much would she spend in Kilika's temple. Minutes pass and he was getting bored, the party had to pass the trials, which were confusing for him. Then Yuna has to pray and that could take a while. Lady Dona and Bartello appeared again. Tidus wondered why she was there. She had already obtained the aeon, why would she come back?  
Dona asks where was Yuna, Tidus pointed at the elevator, he explained that he wasn't a guardian and that he's not supposed to be there with them. Dona looked at Bartello, he smiled and walk towards Tidus, and he grabbed him and raised Tidus into the air. Tidus fight to release himself but Bartello was too strong. He threw Tidus into the elevator and presses the bottom, making him descend to the Cloisters.

Tidus walks to trials, it was already too late, he knew he wasn't a guardian but there was nothing to do. Moments later, he reaches the Chamber of Fayht where Yuna is praying, everyone looked at him quizzical. They told him to stay back.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tidus approach him, trying to find an answer as to why he had descended.

"It was Dona and that big musclehead man!"  
"Yuna will be the one to suffer the consequences!"  
"What consequences?"  
"She could be excommunicated!

Tidus walks with Lulu; he had questions about the Chamber of Fayth, about everything. "The fayth are people who gave their lives to battle Sin. Yevon took their souls, willingly given from their still-living bodies." She explained that only Summoners may enter the Chamber of Fayth, it is taboo for Guardians or any other person enters that room. "Now they live forever, trapped in statues. But when a summoner beckons, the souls of the fayth emerge once again. That's what we call an aeon."

 _There was something I didn't tell anyone else that day. That song we heard there, in the temple... I knew it from my childhood. It was proof that Spira and Zanarkand were connected somehow. At least to me it was. Maybe that's why, suddenly, I felt like...I just wanted to go home. I tried to say something, to tell them. But the words wouldn't come._

Yuna walks outside the Chamber of Fayht, it was quicker than before, but still it had drained her of all of her energy. Tidus thought that maybe since she is already a summoner, the fayth automatically will help her though… She looks tired. Wakka and Lulu walks towards Yuna and helped her to walk. The party walks back. There were a crowd gathered waiting on the mount for Lord Braska's daughter. Waiting to cheer for her, they had high hopes for her. They wanted the calm; they yearn for it 10 years without Sin, 10 years they can sleep comfortable at night without worrying. 10 years that Yuna can bring to them.

The aeon's name is Ifrit, a powerful djinn with the control of scorching flames which can engulf the whole world to ashes. His brown skin with long horns and claws only covered with a simple kilt-like around his waist. A true demon of hell in the world.

Everyone had gathered today as well, it was the big game. A flashback pictured in his eyes like a movie sphere. Tidus understands how Yuna feels. The world is watching her every steps. Cheering all the while but… It wasn't easy. Fame can sometimes conquer a soul and break it.

 _I thought I had put my feelings for Zanarkand behind me. But they were there, and they grew inside me, bigger and bigger, till I was just about ready to burst_

They headed towards the stairs, Tidus head still spinning with thoughts. He tried hard not to think about Zanarkand, no to miss it. It was hard to accept the fact that Zanarkand was no more. He stop, not noticing what he was doing, simply lost in memories. Yuna stops beside him, she could feel his pain, his soul screaming for freedom, to be released from this prison called Spira and go back to his world. She asks is everything is okay. He didn't know, he just wanted to scream, scream loudly and let it all out.

" _aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"_

Everyone except Yuna was startled, they looked at him, he was acting all crazy. Wakka thought for a second that it had been a fiend, or maybe Sin's toxin was affecting him. Lulu ignored him, she too can see beyond what Wakka's blind eye was seeing. A boy lost from his world, no memories, no recollection of this world, lost forever.

They reach the jungle once more, couple of monsters on their way, but slowly Tidus sword skills had increase. The small reptile monster had been a great practice for him. The brotherhood sword had fit Tidus hand nicely. _To bestow this blade to another is to anoint them your best friend forever._ Though the sword was originally for Chappu, slowly Wakka had seen in Tidus a friend he can trust his deepest desires. Slowly thinking of him his friend.

The party reach what was left of Kilika's port, they walk towards the ship. Their destination is Luca, hoping that everything goes well and that they don't have another encounter with Sin, they got inside the ship and prepared to sail. Some Kilika beasts blitzblall player were shouting in a corner. Tidus looked at them; they too wanted to win the cup, now more than ever. This way they could at least bring joy to the island. But for Tidus, he too wanted to win the cup, for Wakka's sake, although he felt a little bit selfish.

The calm night seems peaceful enough to sleep outside, under the gaze of the stars. Sadly for Yuna, she always attract attention, people around her asking questions, but the most that they ask, "will you bring the calm like your father Lady Yuna?" a question that seems to bother Tidus, yes he knew she will bring it, it is her duty, people just need to calm down and wait. Instead of waiting for someone to bring it, why won't they go fight Sin, if they want the calm that badly.

Lulu and Wakka walks to the second level of the boat. So many things they have to talk about, their resolution of being Yuna's guardians, was it all right to let her become a summoner despite knowing all the danger that lies ahead. Their minds clouded with so many questions on how they could had prevented her from becoming a summoner but it was in her blood, it was written the day her father, Lord Braska defeated Sin.

Tidus sat down outside of the rooms in the interior of the boat. He could hear the fast beating of the Aurochs hearts, their excitement building up. Soon they will reach Luca, the place where the tournament will be held. On the other side of the ship, were the Luca goers, smiling, Tidus hated them; they were the image of his father. Selfish and arrogant, those Luca players think they are the best of the world. He grew weary of their sights, walking outside, feeling the fresh air of the night. Mesmerized by the beautiful night, he remembers the nights back in Zanarkand, even though the lights and building were all right, the sight to the stars weren't the same.

He approaches Yuna, who was still surrounded by people, especially Luca goers. One of the Luca goers player asks him who he wants, one of the team remembered and mock Tidus. Repeating what he said back then. ' _Winning the cup.'_ Calling Tidus an idiot, he clench his fist ready to fight, but he didn't want to look like an animal in front of Yuna. She intervene, she acknowledge that Tidus was a great player, and exposed his secret. Zanarkand abes, they looked at her like if Yuna were crazy, no one live in Zanarkand, there is no city, just ruins. They left her, her heart succumb in sadness, looking at the big ol' blue she felt her heart ache with a weird sensation.

Yuna was mad at them, she do believe Tidus and that he use to live in Zanarkand. She explained that Sir Jecht use to tell her stories about Zanarkand. The great city, blitzball, machine, a place without Sin, a place of sleepless nights. She wants to go there, see it, live the experience she had only been able to live it in her dreams.

As he walks to talk to Wakka about the preparations for the game he stop in mid stairs, hiding he heard Lulu questioning Wakka.

"Well? Say something. You'll take responsibility? Lulu looked at him, she can guess that Wakka doesn't have the answer, he never thinks ahead of things when he makes a plan.

"Relax!" He sounded confident. "He's bound to know someone in Luca." Wakka replied, even though he was sure of it, sometimes Wakka thought about it. What would he do if there is no one who recognize him, Tidus would be stranded in a place where n ones knows him.

"And if not?"

"He can always join a team." He said quickly, he didn't think his answer carefully before he proceed. "Anyhow, it's better than just leaving him in Besaid." He thought that that answer would satisfy Lulu but he was wrong.

"What? Just leaving him in Luca?" He temper growing by the second, how could Wakka think of leaving him in Luca to see if a team accepts him and to start all over again. That was one of many reasons why Lulu was always mad at Wakka, he never thinks beyond what he wants. Yes he wants to help Tidus but how, he never thinks of different possibilities or scenarios.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Yuna wants to make him a guardian."

"Oh yeah, geez… there's that too, eh?"

"And whose fault is that?

"Not mine!" Lulu gave him a cold dead stare, it was his fault. He was blinded by Tidus skills in blitzball and saw a golden opportunity to win the cup and now Yuna wants to be with him. "It is my fault, huh?"

Tidus slowly walk away; he felt bad for Wakka, for him, Lulu didn't understand that he was trying his best to help him. Without Wakka he surely would had died by now. Tidus understood, and for that he was grateful.

He walks to the back of the ship; there right in the middle was a blitzball. His mind rush to a far away time, he remembers a time when he was a tyke.

He was just a small boy, his father, the most famous player of blitzball in all of Zanarkand. He tried to make his father's technique, but each time he tried, he failed. His father appeared from behind, he was watching him ever since Tidus tried. His father's voice piercing his heart like thousands knifes.

 _"You can't do it, kid. But don't worry, my boy. You're not_

 _the only one. No one else can do it. I'm the best!"_

He was just a kid back then, now he is a star player, he will achieve his father's level and go beyond it. His father voice on his mind, troubled Tidus but he wanted to do the shot he needed to do it. He hit the ball with his left foot. "I'm the best." Jecht Voice echoed in his head. The ball bounces on the stairs on the deck of the ship. He hit it with his right foot sending it back at the corner next to the stairs of the deck. "You're out of your league!" They burn like fire coursing through his veins. He jumps and hit the ball with his head, Still listening to his father voice over and over again, claiming to be the best. "You can't do it." Tidus jumps, making 1080 rotations at high speed. His mind ready, it was time to shut down his father negativity that hunts him. He looked at the ball as it fell down and hit the ball with his left leg. The ball disappeared in the big ocean, camouflage by the dark sky. Tidus landed softly on the ground, he had done it, at last he had reach his father's level and overcome his fears.

"The beast, yeah right." He turned around to see the Aurochs looking at him. They had never seen a technique so perfect. Wakka wanted to know the name of the technique but Tidus didn't give him it. He states that anyone can try it if they practice. Unlike his father he didn't want to crush dreams, but instead help them fulfill them.

Tidus showed them one more time, the team started to practice, one hitting the ball, the other making the 1080 rotation. Everyone seems happy to know someone like him was on the team. Tidus walks towards Yuna, she was looking at him smiling. She had seen that shot before, it does have a name and the best part is that it confirm her theory. "That was the Jecht Shot, wasn't it?"

Tidus looked at her, confused, he haven't told anyone the name, how could she knew… "How do you know about that."

"Sir Jecht showed it to me when I was a child. He called it the _Sublimely Magnificent Jech Shot Mark III"_ She struggled to remember the exact words, it had been a long time since she had seen that shot. Sir Jecht was truly magnificent and powerful.

"Stupid name, huh? You know what?" Tidus to remember his father, how everyone admire him. "There is no Mark I or Mark II, you know? My old crowd said the name Mark III was just something to hook the crowd. He said they'd come back every night expecting to see Mark I and Mark II. And, they really did come back. I used to get so mad. Is he alive, you think?"

Tidus and Yuna kept talking about Jecht. He thought what if he was alive, what would he told him. He was famous to in Spira, once Guardian of Lord Braska, news would spread if something ever happen to him. But something inside of Tidus build, something he didn't want to confess. He would smack his father if he was still alive, for all the troubled Tidus mom and him had gone trough. And being the son of a famous person hasn't been easy.

Yuna agreed that it is hard to have a famous father; following in his footsteps had been hard on her. People around the world expect great things from a celebrity's child, so much that sometimes they just want to escape reality and run away from everything. But overall, it is an honor to have a person like that as a father surpasses everything else. Tidus didn't agree of having the honor of having Jecht as a father, he wasn't a role mother every child would wish to have. Suddenly he got smack on the head by a blitzball; Wakka wanted him to show the amazing shot he just did couple of minutes ago.

 _I didn't think my old man would come to Luca. He never did like watching other people play. But I couldn't help feeling something bad was gonna happen. And these feelings of mine are usually right. Sure, I had told Wakka I'd help him win the tournament. But I wasn't sure I had it in me to play at all anymore._


	5. Chapter 5 Luca

Chapter V  
Luca

The sun was bright, the air fresh and the sea at peace. Tidus looking at the great stadium in the ocean that reminds him of home, of Zanarkand, it sends shivers down his spine. Right in the middle of the stadium, there was a great crystal orb where the teams will play to obtain the honor of taking back the champion's trophy back to their homes. He could see different types of ships cruising towards the docks. Luca made him feel just like home. The seagulls flying trough the horizon in peace, the memories of Sin in Kilika fading away from his mind, no wonder blitzball is their only escape from the pain.

In the stadium somewhere, Tidus could hear the announcers and the scream of the crowd, it was like back at Zanarkand. People cheering for their favorite teams, together, united for one common purpose, to enjoy a friendly and sometimes heated tournament. Hundreds of flying hot air balloons decorated the skies. The announcer welcoming the audience, the day they had all been waiting for, the opening tournament of the season, sponsored by Yevon.

The players started to walk out of the ship, the announcer calling out their names. The crowd cheer and smile, they wanted this tournament to begin already. Many people at the docks waiting for the players, to see their heroes and to praise them, wishing them the best of luck in the tournament. "Ah, over there! The ships carrying the players are arriving now! This would be dock number 2. All the way from Kilika, it's the Kilika Beasts!" The players walk out of the ship, their eyes filled with hope and dreams, it was a hard time for their island, and they needed to make them proud, to bring the cup back to their island and bring joy for at least a little while. A heavy burden they must carry on. "High Summoner Ohalland used to play for them - a big name to live up to. Their hometown was recently attacked by Sin. Isn't that right, Jimma?"

The people on bar watching the entrance of the Kilika beasts. Some Guado were looking with the corner of their eyes, trying not to pay much attention to them, they were expecting their team to win this year. "Yes, Bobba. They're going to be pulling out all the stops to try and bring back the cup this year."

"Exciting, isn't it, folks? Our next team off the ramp is..." Bobba watch as the players walks out of the ship, he tried to maintain his positive attitude towards the players that had just appeared but he knew that they didn't have a chance, they never had won, and by the looks of it, they never will. "Well, well, well! If it isn't the Besaid Aurochs! They're a living, breathing, statistical impossibility!" The members of the Aurochs walked with their heads down, they felt ashamed, even the commentators didn't help them cheer up, but Wakka was walking tall in front of them all. He knew something that the commentators did not. "I've never seen a team this bad! That's right! In twenty-three years they've never made it past the first round! Only a few die-hard fans are in the audience today."

"Best of luck to them, and a safe journey back to Besaid." Jimma said without a single hope for the team. Everyone else in the crowd thought so to, the Besaid Aurochs shouldn't had appeared this year and save themselves from the trouble of traveling to Luca and the pain of suffering defeat.

"Right, Jimma. Moving right along, our next team is... Here they are, folks! Our very own Luca Goers! They've got power! They've got speed! They've got teamwork! They're an all-around first-class team! And they're back home in Luca!" The crowd stood up and cheer for their favorite team. You could see here and there flags with the team logo, painted face with the Luca Goers colors. The predictions says it all, they will defend their title as the beast team and champion of blitzball.

The team put their hands together and shout 'Lets win!' and walk outside with the crowd. "Without a doubt, they are the favorite this year, Bobba. And after the way they dominated last year, it'd take a miracle for them to lose today."

"You can say that again, Jimma. Look at the crowd, folks! Look at the crowd! Looks like all of Luca has turned out to cheer the Goers on! They know, I know, and you know, folks! The Luca Goers are number one!" The fans push themselves trying to touch the players; they were the heroes, the best team in all of Spira. They wanted to feel in their palm the soft skin of their legends.

Tidus got mad, he had never felt this way before in a blitzball tournament, now he knows how it feels to be number two. Back in Zanarkand the people shouted for him, waited kilometers just to see his face. And now nobody is paying attention. He walks angrily towards the Aurochs, Wakka was already use to it, it's the same thing year after year, nobody paying attention to the Aurochs. Tidus wanted it to stop; it was time to end this craziness. He grabbed a megaphone and called the attention of everyone who was cheering for the Luca Goers. Everyone stop and looked at him, he went wild and crazy, shouting that the Aurochs will win the cup.

Couple of people run away to another dock, shouting that Maester Mika had arrived. Tidus looked confused, who had arrived he ask and Yuna explained to him who is Mika and what a Maester is. Maester Mika is the leader of all the people of Spira, he lives in Bevelle and the tournament is being held in his honor for fifty years as a Maester. A maester is a teacher of the religion of Yevon, there are only three positions with the title, one is held by a Kelk Ronso, one by a Jyscal Guado and one by the human is Wen Kinoc. But Maester Mika is a grand Maester

Yuna wanted to see Grand Maester Mika, the party walks towards dock 3. The party walk towards it, there was a big crowd, a grand ship bigger than anything Tidus had seen in his life. An orchestra group of weird people. A group of men with abnormal long hands and weird hairs walks outside the ship. A man with a blue tunic, showing the tribal tattoo in his chest walks out of the ship guarded by several others similar to him. His long blue hair was fashionably weird for Tidus sake. Blue veins decorated his face and a long staff similar to the one Yuna has on his right hand.

Whisperings of the people near Tidus made him know this person's name, Seymour Guado, half human and half guado. He turned to face the ship and made the prayer stance and kneeled. An old man walk out of the ship, his tunic with different types of color, white beard and decorated his face. He walks slowly towards Seymour, and thank the people for the generous welcome. He beckoned Seymour to stand up and everyone as well. He introduces Seymour as Maester Seymour to the people, for Maester Jyscak, former leader of the Guado, had departed for the Farplane.

"I am Seymour Guado. I am honored to receive the title of maester." His soft voice reach the heart of many people who were present, but to Tidus, his soft voice represent something else, something in his heart tells him not to trust this person. "In life, my father Jyscal worked to foster friendship between man and Guado. I vow to carry on his legacy, and to fulfill my duties as maester to the best of my abilities." Grand Maester Mika walks away and Maester Seymour followed, but he suddenly stops as he realizes that Yuna was in the crowd. Their eyes met, she felt a jolt on her mind while Seymour winks at her. She felt paralyze, for someone like him to pay attention to her was an honor. Tidus notice, he looked at him as Seymour walks away, his heart racing, screaming to him that that Guado is not to be trusted. Does Yuna feels the same way he thought.

Everyone had scattered, the party went towards the stands, and the game will begin soon. The Aurochs went towards the dressing room. Some were ready, others were afraid, their hopes of winning seems to vanish into thin air by the minute. They had never made it out of the first round, and one new player won't make the difference. Tidus walks towards them, they were sad, remembering that last year they had to play against the Goers, and the year before that, being the reason as to why they had never made it out of the first round. The doors suddenly opened Wakka walks in with a big smile on his face. Their hopes seems to flourish once more, if their captain was happy then something good must had happened. They got seeded, they have to play the Al Bhed Psyches and if they win, they will pass to the finals. The room was filled with happiness once more; they had never had this golden ticket to at least be in the finals.

Yuna march in the dressing room, bearing the news that someone saw Sir Auron. Tidus mind rush thousand miles away, technically thanks to Auron he is in this mess. Yuna explained that Sir Auron was also Lord Braska Guardian. He haven't seen him or heard of him since he arrived at Spira, did Auron knew about Sin? Did he know it would teleport him one thousand years into the future? This is wrong.

 _It didn't even occur to me to think that the Auron Yuna was talking about...and the one I knew from Zanarkand could be two different people. I don't know why, but I knew it was the same guy. I knew it was the same Auron_

Yuna and Tidus walks out of the room, Kimahri was with them of course, he wouldn't leave Yuna alone for a second. Tidus notice some Al Bhed on the corner, he tried talking to them, asking if they know Rikku, the girl that saved him the other day, hoping he could say thanks. They didn't paid attention to him; they saw Yuna and recognize she was a summoner. Tidus was amazed of the reception it reminded him of Zanarkand. Feeling homesick he stood behind Yuna and Kimahri, his mind gazing the similarities of the city that never sleeps to this one.

Yuna walk towards a group of people, they were reporters who tried to have an interview with Yuna. She apologized and moves along; Tidus was amazed on how famous she was. Hoping not to get separated, Tidus thought Yuna how to whistle, in case they get separated in the crowd. Tidus was curious; he thought that with Sin, towns usually are small and simple like Besaid and Kilika. Yuna explained that towns don't get bigger than that thanks to Sin. People are afraid to attract too much attention and believed that being in small village is best for them. But Luca is different, it is the only place where people can gather and have a great time. Where all the differences are forgotten, all the pain and sorrow are left behind and people just have a good time. Yuna explained that Luca is the second largest town in Spira, the first being Bevelle, where the Grand Maester lives. In the square, there was a crystal like sword right in the middle of it, the sunlight swiftly pass through the crystal illuminating the town with its gentle light. Flags of the team's logo decorated all around city.

They move out from the square and headed to the café, their hopes went down as they didn't saw a man in red. There were many people gathered there but no one that resembles Auron. Yuna asks several people of they had seen someone dress in red with dark glasses and black hair, and that had a big sword around five feet. But nobody had seen someone like Auron and with all the people who had gathered in Luca or the tournament; it is hard to keep track of all of them.

Meanwhile, Kimahri is being bullied by two other Ronso. Both of them are taller thanKimahri, one of them has blond messy hair. His chest protected by a bronze chest plate, in his arms and legs he has blue ornament, protecting his weak point, with dark gray skin his appearance is scarier than of kimahri. The other Ronso has brown hair with a forest green chest plate and gauntlets. He has a lighter tone of gray for skin, and the difference between them and Kimahri is that both of them have their horns.

Yenke and Brian bothered Kimahri, since he don't want to speak with them, they argues to him, that they were the wrong that help Kimahri to be strong, to be who he is but Kimahri didn't answer him. He got mad, Kimahri uppercut Yenke and knocks him out. Tidus cheered for him, the bartender shouted to them, to take the fight outside the bar, the tournaments was about to begin. Kimahri and Tidus looks at the sphere and Biran punch Kimahri. An elderly man appeared on the sphere, Maester Mika was talking, welcoming the people of Spira to this glorious championship next to him was the half human half Guado. Seymour.

"Today, on this glorious day, players from all over Spira have assembled here...to participate in this great contest of bravery, skill, and strength." Maestar Mika spoke, the captain of each team standing in front of him, their heads up, pride in their heart. They had the pleasure to see one of the greatest man in all of Spira, a holy man. Wakka's heart race thousand miles without control, the tournament was about to start and Tidus wasn't near him. Next to him was a the Guado Glories captain Giera Guado. As all of the Guado, his hands reach below his knees, white skin and dark brown hair in a spiky style. Next to Giera was Ganza Ronso of the Ronso Fangs. Many people say his speed is no good but his endurance and passing strength had made him a fierce competitor. The read head arrogant player who Tidus and Wakka had come to hate is Bickson from the Luca Goers and former Champion in blitzball.

Next to the undesirable one is Kilika's beast Captain Vuroja. Many players think lowly of him since he only has his left eye but his precision in defense and offense had made him receive the name of _The beast of Kilika_. The last but not least is Berrick from the Al bhed Spyches. His speed had match and sometimes surpass those of the Guado themselves making Berrick the lighting of the Spyches. "All of these fine teams, equally renowned," Maester Mika continue after a brief moment of silence, his age getting to him. "deserve to win the cup today. Such is the nature of this contest. Let us, the spectators, play our role accordingly: Let us sing to the glory of the winners, and applaud equally the valor of the defeated. Contestants, may Yevon be with you." Mika made the prayer sign and bow his head. Everyone cheer and scream. Water started to fill the crystal orb in the center of the stadium. The crowd never cease to be amaze on the wonder of machine, since this is the only time they can see it openly.

The Aurochs and Spyches entered the sphere. Both of the team swimming all around, getting ready for the fight. These two teams are ready to give it all, whoever wins has a pass to the finals. Wakka and Berrick swim to the center of the field, both standing in a crystal platform and prepared to jump and catch the ball as soon as it was launch. The rest of the team stood on their platform. Keepa took his place, he wanted to win, and the mentality of victory had tainted the Aurochs. Datto on the right field, Letty on the middle field, Jassu on the left defense, Botta on the right defense and Keepa ready to protect the goal with his life.

The ball was launch, Wakka and Berrick swim as fast as they can to grab the ball. Kimahri and Biran still fighting in the bar, Yenke still on the ground knock out. Tidus looked around, he couldn't see Yuna anywhere. He push Kimahri and told him that he couldn't find Yuna, Kimahri clench his fist, he wanted to finish his fight but he ran away. They walked outside and Lulu appeared. She was searching them, she brought the news that the Al bhed had kidnap Yuna and in exchange for her safety, the Aurochs must lose the game.

Tidus, Lulu and Kimahri went towards the dock 4, where the Al Bhed boat was located. Tidus trust Wakka could handle the game all by himself, if the Al bhed needed to take these measures to win, they mustn't be that good of a team. They ran as fast as they can, Tidus had never seen Kimahri run in all four legs, letting the beast inside of him go wild.

Reaching Dock 4 they encountered some small robots salvage by the Al bhed. Lulu took care of them with her magic, summing thunder from the heaven and destroying the machines. Kimahri's anger was incredible, Tidus remembers when Yuna told him he was protecting her since she was a child, it must hurt him knowing that she was kidnapped while he was resolving personal problems. Tidus felt sorry for the machines that cross Kimahri's path, they were ripped apart, if they were to be humans, Kimahri's ocean skin would be crimson.

Tidus and the party stopped to watch the game on a small screen near them. The game was tied 2 to 2. The Aurochs defending the ball as hard as they can. Wakka grabbed the ball, 3 Spyches swim towards him, he looked around trying to find an opening but he was too late. All 3 of them tackled Wakka, the ball drifting away from his grasp, Wakka grabbed his stomach. The pain caused by the tackled is slowly taking the best of him. Even though Wakka had lost the ball, they kept hitting him, the referee not calling the foul, either he was blind or was paid to look to the other side.

The party kept running towards dock 4, they saw the boat right in front of them, it was drifting away of the dock. They ran towards the ramp and jump to make it in time. Tidus remembered this boat; it was the same boat he was rescued back in the ruins. But he prefer not to say anything, Lulu's seems to be always mad and with Kimahri enrage it wasn't a good idea to let them know he was rescued by them.

At the middle of the boat, a machine appeared, it was around 10 foot height, and it launches blitzball at the party which they manage to evade. They needed to do something about the launcher. On his right, Tidus saw a crane; he thought of using it but it needed energy. Lulu cast her thunder at it and the battery was charge, Tidus controlled the crane to grabbed the robot and launch it towards the water. Seconds later, Yuna appeared from the door, she didn't need any help; she had defeated them from within. Tidus look around, he needed to know if for some reason Sin didn't sent him to an even more future than he was before, to see if Rikku was alive. He explained that he was rescued by a boat just like this one, and that the person.

He explained that Sin appeared, and that he made it out alive but he doesn't know about the rest of them. Yuna asks him if he knew someone by the name Cid, and explained that he was her uncle. Tidus stop and analyze the question, and he realizes that Yuna is Al Bhed. Lulu warned Tidus not to tell Wakka, he never liked the Al bhed but Tidus didn't listen and shouted. He needs to tell Wakka. They notice that time had pass, Yuna remember the game, Lulu cast a white ball in the sky that teleport them to Luca.

Wakka looked at the clock, only 30 seconds remaining, the score stills tie 2 to 2. His body feeling the pain, the Aurochs has the ball on hand. Wakka sent out a full attack, ignoring the defense. It was time to score one more and win the game. Only Keepa was left behind to protect the goal just in case. A long pass from Letty, Wakka grabbed the ball, his ribs hurt from the previous attack by the Al bhed. He ignored the pain, grabbed the ball and kept swimming. Berrick tried to make an uppercut at Wakka, he manage to avoid it just in time and turned, pushing himself from Berrick's back and gaining more speed. Wakka looked at the goal, Nimrook stood between him and the champions ship. He knows Nimrook is one of the best goalie in Spira, but he didn't care, it was time the Aurochs get the chance of being champion. He launch the ball with a speed he had never imagine, the ball went right into the center of the triangle goal. Nimrook smiled, it was an easy catch but he didn't notice the ball sudden movement towards the upper left side of the corner. He moves, trying to catch the ball but his reaction was too late, the ball hit the goal, the score change 3 to 2 in favor of the Aurochs. Times up, the Aurochs had won the game, Wakka's heart sank, it was the first time they had won a game. The crowd screams and yelled, they had never hoped that the Aurochs would win. The Aurochs swimming towards Wakka, their eyes filled with tears that blended with the water in the sphere. It was truly a joyful moment.

Lulu on other part wasn't so happy like the rest of them, she still remembering that Wakka wasn't Chappu, and if it were him, Chappu would still be standing in the sphere unlike Wakka who was being dragged by the teammates. Tidus got angry, Wakka had given his everything, it wasn't right for her to compare Wakka to Chappu, he don't want to be his brother, he never wanted it, but stopped in his track when Lulu looked at him with a death stare.

Tidus and Yuna ran towards the dressing room, they wanted to cheer for the team. They were happy for him, for Wakka, for Besaid. This win represent more than just a mere pass to the finals, it represent a new hope for the team. Yuna and Tidus entered the room, Wakka was lying in a bench, his ribs hurting, the pain was incredible. The Al bhed had no mercy on him, if they couldn't win at least they can prevent the Aurochs from winning the championship.

The players were worried, soon the other game will start and they will face the Goers. Yuna asks for forgiveness, everything that had happened was her fault for letting herself being captured by the Al bhed. Wakka tried to stand up but his strength failed him. Yuna and Kimahri left to sit in the stands, Wakka put his trust in Tidus, he recognizes that he couldn't play the next game so he left the leadership to Tidus. He looked at the team, he was afraid of this day, the day when he let the team knows that after that day, no matter if the win or lose, he will quit blitzball. The team looked down, at last their life were filled with hope, now their captain will quit. But even though he will quit, he would rather end his career as a blitzball player with a championship in his hand. The team was ready; they wanted to make their captain proud, their island proud of the team they had supported.

Lulu waited for the team to leave, she thought about what Tidus had told her, it was time to let it go. She always blamed Wakka for Chappu's death, she even accuse him of not letting him go, but in reality, the one not letting Chappu memories rest was her. She always expecting too much of Wakka, expecting to be like his brother, never letting go but it was time. Wakka had proved her and everyone that he was a great man. "I saw you…there" her voice felt weird to her, not the same strong woman as she was before. "floating in the sphere…" Her voice trailed off as she slowly stood in front of him.

"Hey, you weren't supposed to see that." Wakka search for the strength to keep standing, he lost his strength and almost fell, Lulu grabbed him.

"You really gave it your all, didn't you?"

The Aurochs stood in a circle, their hands together; they were playing to win, playing for Wakka. It was the championship game. Nobody could had imagine a championship game between the all mighty Luca Goers against the bottomless losers The Besaid Aurochs. It had never been thought about. In the crowd, the man with red cloth walk up the stairs, looking at the sphere, he was waiting for the game to begin. For him it remembers all the game he had been to when Tidus played for the Zanarkand Abes.

The Aurochs entered the sphere, Tidus leading the team. He was ready, he didn't care to show he was the best, nobody knew him here in Spira, he didn't care about fans or his name written in the story of blitzball players, he wanted to win for Wakka. The team behind him they stop right in front of the Goers who were waiting for him already. Bickson smiled at the Aurochs he thought the game was going to be a piece of cake. He extended his hand to Tidus to salute him, and when Tidus was about to grabbed it he launch his fist into Tidus face.

Each member of each team swim towards their post, The game starts, the ball is launch and Letty manage to grabbed the ball. He swim as fast as he could, the Goers was a team they had never beaten. He reach a third part of the sphere on the left side and was blocked by Abus, he dribbled and got tackled by Abus but kept going on. Now Letty swim towards the right side of the goalie and Bickson tackled him hard and pass it to Botta. Botta kept moving side to side gaining space but Bikson caught up to him, he pass it to Jassu who later pass it to Tidus who was near the Goal. Tidus wanted to have an advantage as soon as possible, he had learned the Jecht Shot, it was time to let Spira know what a Star Player of Zanarkand can do. In front of him was Bickson, Abus and Raudy at the goal. Tidus kick the ball with his right foot, it hit Bickson in the head, now with his right hand and hit Abus in the head as well, He started to make the 1080 spin, Raudy didn't know what to do, or where Tidus will shoot. Seconds later, Tidus hit the ball as hard as he could, the ball move at a speed that Raudy barely saw it coming and it hit the goal.

The score now 1 to 0 in favor of the Aurochs, the Goers are getting serious. In every game they had played the Aurochs, never had they made a goal. Bickson grabbed the ball, only 1 minute remaining, the Goers launch a full attack. Tidus tried to keep up, he had never seen such team in his life. The Goers make the players back in Zanarkand looked like kids. He tried to tackled Bickson but miss, Letty got in the way as Bickson shoot towards the goal, but Letty hit the ball in time. Abus was near enough to grabbed the ball, the Aurochs didn't saw him and he shoot, Keepa tried to catch it but couldn't. With 20 seconds remaining the Aurochs hold the ball as best as they can, the Goers were truly strong. Times ran out and the game went to half time.

The guys went back to the dressing room, they refresh and Wakka scold them. It was the final round, they need to score one and maintain it that way till time ran out. He wishes to be in the game but his back and ribs still hurts like if Sin had step into his back. The game started again and Jassu grabbed the ball this time, he quickly passes it to Tidus who was open. Tidus swim quickly towards the goal, he tried to make a shot, but he couldn't complete another Jecht shot. He was too tired and misses. The game stop and behind the score, Wakka appeared and Tidus went back to the dressing room.

 _To be honest, I did feel kind of let out, but...  
It really was the Aurochs' and Wakka's show, after all._

Quickly the Goers grabbed the ball but Wakka seems to have been revived, he was faster than before and stronger. He stole the ball from Bickson who was near their goal and Wakka shoot as fast and strong as he could, all his energy canalized into that last shot, last hope to win the game. Raudy tried to catch the ball but couldn't, the score now 2 to 1 in favor of the Aurochs.

The crowd was wild; they had gained more fans over the game. Only 40 seconds remaining, the Goers need to score at least once to go to over time, but the Aurochs defense seems to had gone to another level. Bickson tried to pass the ball but couldn't, he receive several tackled by Letty and Wakka but refuse to let go of the ball. 20 seconds remaining. He saw Abus open, he passes it, it was a long pass, the odds were against him, even if he could make the pass, Abus wouldn't catch it in time to make a score. 10 seconds remaining, Jassu fingertips touch the ball Abu right behind him, ony 5 seconds remaining. Abus catch the ball, he turned quickly to aim at the goal, time seems to stop, Wakka was too far to help, Jassu didn't had the speed to preven the shot, Abus shoot, Botta swim towards the ball, his head hit the ball and it went off. Abus froze, his shot had missed, so close and yet so far. The game had ended, everyone was cheering for the Aurochs, this victory will go to the record books.

Tidus was watching the game at the dressing room, his face filled with smiled. He ran towards the sphere and swim as fast as he could towards Wakka, he was happy for him. After so long, Wakka's dream had been fuffilled. Just couple of feet from Wakka, Tidus stops abruptly, couple of Sahagin Chiefs swim into the sphere and attack them. Their scaly fins and long sharp teeth scrath Tidus arm. Tidus was mad, he didn't have his sword with him, he never thought he would use it in the tournament and left it in the locker. Wakka launch the ball towards the Sahagin and made them swim away. They were confuse, how the fiends got inside the stadium.

Screams filled Luca, as the beast crawled here and there. A large wingless dragon like beast walks around the stadium; killing people all around it with his fire breath. The man with red Haori with black and blue straps with two brown belts wrapped around it walks right in front of him, the sword in his right hand almost as long as his body but

He looked at the beast, removing his left arm from the haori, he grabbed his sword with his right hand. Resembling the aspect of a traditional ronin who does not serve any lord he prepares to fight with the beast. He wears a brown shoulder pad on his left shoulder decorated with tan, green and blue pattern. Protecting him from any attack. On his face, a scar over the right half of his face over his right eye is visible, the reason as to why his eye is always shut. He prepares his katana and attack the beast. His heavy katana easily piercing the hard scale of the dragon, killing it with one blow.

Tidus and Wakka spotted Auron and walk towards him. A giant flying beast appeared and attack them. Wakka rapidly launch the blitzball directly into the flying beast eyes to blind him, Tidus assist Auron to jump and cut the head off the beast with one single swoop of his katana. Auron landed softly and fix his glasses. He looked around and more beasts appeared, they were surrounded, Auron might be strong but there were too many fiends.

Seymour Guado stood in the front of Mika's throne; he bowed his head and made the prayer. The skies turned dark, clouds had gathered blocking the sunlight. A giant chain appeared from the sky and hit the ground in front of him, it appeared to be bpulling something from the darkness that slowly spread across the ground. A giant beast was pulled out of the darkness, the beast was chained, preventing his escape. It was wrapped around what seems to be ablue leaf with teeth. The Aeon face was covered up to it nose, except for one eye that looked around to all the fiends that were terrorizing the stadium. His hand chained and tied up Tidus wondered how it would attack. The beast yelled, his sharp fangs terrorize Tidus more than the fiends around him.

The aeon started to launch laser from his eyes, killing each of the fiends with just one shot. Slowly all the flying fiends, dragon like fiends and wolf fiends were killed by the Aeon summoned by Seymour. The bleeding eye of the aeon showed the pain it was feeling. Seymour had saved the people of Spira, showing the immense power he has.

Everything was settled down, the people in the stadium felt safe having Maester Seymour there. Now that the horror was over, they proceed to present the champion of the tournament, the Besaid Aurochs. Wakka walk up and grabbed the trophy, his heart felt different, he had never felt so happy in his entire life. At long last, his dream of winning the championship had been fulfilled.

At the center square, Wakka and the party waited for the Aurochs. The trophy in hand he haven't let go of it since he had received it. Even though they had won, the Aurochs were sad, their captain was quitting the team. He handed the trophy to Datto, and walk away. The team heads were down, they didn't wanted Wakka to leave. Wakka yelled at them and they pulled themselves together.

Wakka walks back to the party who were waiting for him in the outskirt, near the exit of the town. His face resembles pain, he had lived with the Aurochs, played with them, suffer with them and never give up, till now. As long last their dreams had been fulfilled but now he has more important duties to attend, he must fulfill his promise to Yuna and be her full time guardian.

Yuna looked at him as he walk towards them, she could see his eyes tracing back to where the team stood still with the trophy in hand. She felt his pain, and thought that it was her fault. Yuna wanted Wakka to stay with the Aurochs, they were his family as well but she knew he wouldn't listen. That Wakka would stay by her side in this journey to defeat sin.

"Are you sure?" Yuna asks Wakka, she wanted to say something else, she wanted to scream at him, to tell him to stay that he didn't need to go with her, she have plenty of Guardians. With Kimahri and Lulu was enough, he could stay and play with them but her tongue was trap inside her mouth, she couldn't say a word.

"Never liked long goodbye's anyway." He look away, one last glance at his team as they walk back to the dock. He wanted to go back with them, celebrate big in Besaid but duty calls. "Sorry for making you wait, Yuna. I had some promises to keep, ya? From now on, I'll be your full-time guardian."

Yuna, Wakka and Lulu talk about what happened, nobody knew about where and how the fiends entered the stadium. But thanks to Maester Seymour, Grand Maester Mika and the rest of the people are alive. Meanwhile, back in the docks, Tidus confronted Auron. He was the reason he was in Spira, lost, in a world where he had never been before. And the worst part, he wasn't there to begin with, he just throw him into this messed up world, where people are afraid every day, praying every night to a god they had never seen, that Sin wouldn't attack them in their sleep.

"Hey, you! Don't just stand there! All of this is your fault! Gettin' swallowed by Sin!" Tidus remembers when instead of running away from the giant orb of water, Auron walks right towards it. He remembers how he holds him, saying _this is your story. It all begins here._ All of this was his fault. "Not being able to go back to Zanarkand - everything, everything! I'm telling you, it's all your fault!" Tidus walks around, he couldn't think straight, he didn't know what was going on anymore, once again he was lost in memories and thoughts.

Auron laugh, he didn't answer any of Tidus question, little by little his trust to the old man who had taken care of him is fading away. "Who are you, anyway? You knew my old man, didn't you?" Auron answered few questions, yes he did met Jecht, he did met Braska.

It was all impossible to Tidus, how could it be, his father had died 10, he died in the ocean. "Nothing impossible about it. Jecht, Braska, and I... Together we defeated Sin ten years ago." Auron closed his eyes, he remembers the day Lord Braska, Jecht and Auron went towards Sin.

The sun was about to rest, the few birds already on their nest. Lord Braska waited in the cliff, his mind set. It was time to end the battle once and for all. Auron felt something strange in the air, there was something that he didn't like. The sacrifice they had to make, in order to defeat Sin was greater than expected. Braska's eyes were filled with tears, both of joy and pain. This battle will bring peace to the world; will bring love to many people once more.

Lord Braska wanted to destroy Sin, he wanted a better future for his daughter, Yuna. He wanted to bring light in the darkness. And then, Sin appeared…

"Then I went to Zanarkand..." He forces himself to snap out of those painful memories. "Where I watched over you. So that one day I could bring you to Spira."

"Why did it have to be me?" Still, Tidus didn't understand, why would he bring him to Spira, he could had stayed back in Zanarkand, safe there in the big city.

"Jecht asked me to."  
"Is he alive?"

"It depends on what you mean by 'alive.' He is no longer human. But then..." Back there in Zanarkand he felt something, he felt Jecht in Sin. "I felt something of Jecht there in that shell, couldn't you? You must have felt him when you came in contact with Sin." Tidus couldn't understand it, how could his father, no it was impossible. He walk around quicker than before, his hand sin his head, as if it was about to fall. "It is. Sin is Jecht." No, this couldn't be, his father was dead, and all those people, all those who had died since he arrived. The people back in Kilika, was he calling out to him, was he trying to send Tidus a message. No, it couldn't be, Auron must be crazy.

"But it is the truth. You'll see for yourself. Come with me."

"If I say no?"

"Every story must have an ending."

"I don't care about your stories!"

"I see. Sorry you feel that way. Fine, then. Come or don't come. It's your decision."

"What am I supposed to say? You tell me it's my decision... But I don't have a choice, do I? You're the only one who can tell me what's going on, anyways! I have to go with you! I have to!"

Auron walks away from Tidus, he was going to offer his service as a guardian to Yuna, another promise he has to complete. Tidus walk beside him, he didn't know what to do, he was lost and the only one with answer is Auron, the man responsible for him being suck in Spira.

"Auron?" His voice now calm, what can he do, how he could go back, was it possible? Or was he stuck in this unknown world. "Will I ever go home? Back to Zanarkand?" Auron looked at him; Tidus knew that he doesn't have the answer to that question. It all depended on Jecht, if he wanted to continue in his rampaging destruction, he use to destroy dreams back in Zanarkand, here; he is destroying more that dreams…

Wakka, Lulu, Kimahri and Yuna were waiting in the outskirt. Worried that Tidus wouldn't come back, that he would stay with Auron. Indeed, Wakka was right all along, he did get to meet someone he knew and now he at least will have the help that heneeds to understand where he is. Yuna in the other hand wanted to see him. At least to say goodbye. All of them got costumed to Tidus smile and happiness, even though he was out of his mind or sick probably.

Yuna was about to walk towards the town, she needed to talk to him, to express something she had been keeping secret but then she saw the man in red haori and with him the blond boy from Zanarkand. They were amazed, for such an honorable man to approach them willingly and bow his head it was an honor.

Auron looked at Yuna, he can see the resemblance of Lord Braska in her face. But he could also see her mother's eyes. He smiled, just by looking at her, she remembers the time he guarder her father. But it also brought sad memories.

Tidus was behind him, his thoughts were far away from reality. What Auron told him, it couldn't be possible? His father… Sin? How can he look at Yuna now? How can he even go near her, her father gave up his life to kill Sin, and now the man that helped him do it had become Sin, the very monster she wants to fight, the monster that had caused pain to countless lives.

Auron took his sword and place it in front of her, his eyes met hers. "I wish to become your guardian. Do you accept?" His voice strong, he remember the time he promise her father that he will take care of his daughter. To protect her in any ways possible. Braska knew that the people of Spira will have high expectation of her, and she will need all the help she can get.

Wakka, Yuna and Lulu were startled, they had never hope to see Sir Auron with them, nonetheless to have him as a companion in the battle of Sin. They were confused but the only response Auron gave was his promise. "I promised Braska."

Yuna smiled, even in death her father is protecting her. It sends shiver down her spine just remembering how her father use to play with her. Yuna always look up to her father and when he had to go away on his journey to defeat Sin, she was sad, heartbroken… but deep down she understood that her father was not only for her, but for the rest of Spira. He had to sacrifice his family to bring happiness to all the families of Spira.

"And..." Auron pulled Tidus in front of the group, his body almost motionless, just like a puppet. "he comes too." Tidus tried to smile, waving his hand without enthusiasm. "This one I promised Jecht."

Yuna eyes widened, is it possible that Sir Jecht is alive, she asks, but Auron state that he didn't know, he haven't seen him in 10 years. But that Yuna will meet with him eventually, somehow.

Auron walks towards Lulu, to him; she seems the one that control the itinerary and their next move. And he was right; Lulu controlled and explained that their next move will be travel through the Mi'ihen Highroad, to reach the temple of Djose.

Yuna pulled Tidus away from the party, she had seen his sadness and wanted to make him smile. She let go, put her finger on her lips and whistle. Tidus was impress, in such a short time she learned how to do it. But… Tidus couldn't handle his sadness, his mind still clouded with thoughts. "You know what? It's embarrassing to say this myself... But summoners and their guardians are kind of like Spira's ray of light." Yuna look far away, her mind remembering all those people that walks towards her, asking if she was going to defeat Sin, if she will bring the calm back. Those people look up to her, admires her. She remembers all those children back at Besaid that were smiling when she became a full fledge summoner. They knew that she will bring peace to Spira once more. "A lot of people in Spira depend on us. I learned to practice smiling when I'm sad, you know? I know it's hard."

Yuna looked at Tidus, she smiled at him, force him to try. It was hard but sometimes it helps. Tidus try smiling it was a weak one, and for him it felt weird. Next Yuna made him laugh, Tidus tried to laugh, even though it was a fake smile, Yuna tried to stop him, people near him looked at him weird. Tidus kept laughing, Yuna burst into laughter as well. She was happy; she wishes her journey would be full of laughter.


	6. Chapter 6 Mi'ihen Highroad

Chapter VI  
Mi'ihen Highroad

Mi' hen Highroad was a vast valley. Beautiful trees in every corner, flowers on others. But what made it look so distinguish was ruins all over the road. Even though it seems it was destroyed by Sin thousands of years ago, some structures were still standing. The images of the glory days without Sin show proof of a world of wonders. Unlike the first time he arrived at Spira, in those old and dark ruins, here it looked more vivid. People walking back and forth, without worrying of being attacked by fiends, the crusaders were patrolling the road, killing any fiend that approach.

To the left, there was an old man standing in front of a statue. The Statue was from a warrior, it held a long rectangle shield on his left shoulder, long and brown hair, with tanned skin. On his right, he held a staff; at the end of the staff it had what seem to be horns. His attire was of a samurai and swords were placed all around the rock where the statue stands. The old man looked at Tidus and the party with interest, for him, some of them doesn't know who this man was, even though they believed it has to be someone important.

"This is Mi'hen statue." The old man started while looking at the face of the statue with pride and joy. His long research and studies hasn't been in vain, the young and mindless people who don't know their roots will only find perdition. "Eight centuries ago, he founded what today we know as the crusaders." The old man stops and looked at the blond man in front of him. "In just a few short years after their founding, their ranks grew throughout Spira. The maesters of Yevon feared an uprising and accused them of rebellion. So Lord Mi'ihen walked along this very road to go face their charges and refute them. He succeeded in winning the maesters' trust, and his legion became an arm of the Yevon clergy." The old man finished, his name was Maechen, the scholar and story teller of Spira history. After finishing, he walks away, studying other structures ahead.

The party walk inside the Highroad, they needed to reach Djose and obtained the aeon there. What kind of powerful creature Yuna would obtained, Tidus asks himself. She got Valefor and now Yuna. After 30 minutes of walk, at their right there was what seems to be an old and destroyed building. The old man from before appeared right behind them, though it got Tidus on its nerve, he didn't say a thing; Wakka seems to enjoy the old man tales of the past. Auron didn't pay attention and kept walking ahead, Lulu followed him, only Yuna, Tidus and Kimahri stayed behind to listen to the old man stories.

"Do you know what those ruins are from?" the old man asks to the few who listen to him. Tidus thought it was from an old city and he was correct. "A city most ancient!" The old man continues. "A terrible testament to Sin's power. I tremble every time I see them. Compared to Sin, humans are mere mudpuppies!"

Those words taste bitter to Yuna's thought, humans are more than what the old man give them credit. "But I believe humans are the only ones capable of defeating Sin." She didn't meant to disrespect the old man, but humans are stronger than what they look.

"A good reply. I am relieved to hear you say that, m'lady summoner. Where are my manners? I am Maechen, a scholar. At your service, m'lady. I am on a journey, studying the history of our world, Spira, seeking its stories and secrets... My travels have taken me to many places, and I am troubled by what I have seen. Fragile smiles on people's face crumbling at the mere mention of Sin. They are counting on you, m'lady. Give them a reason to rejoice once more." Yuna smiled, she wanted to bring joy to the people of Spira, it was her destiny.

Yuna, Tidus, Wakka and Kimahri walk faster just to reach Auron and Lulu who were now looking at some crusaders that were riding some chocobos. Unlike the ones that move the ship they took from Besaid to Kilika, these birds seem taller and stronger. They wear armor on their chest, legs and head. 3 soldiers were riding those chocobos, a beautiful strong looking scarlet hair girl with purple armor covering her chest. The brown hair girl next to her wears a pink armor, and on her left a young boy who wears silver and green armor. The party were stop by them, they were crusaders patrolling the Highroad.

The scarlet hair woman name was Lucil, captain of the Djose Chocobo Knights, the brown hair girl was Elma and the young boy was Clasko. They reported that there were rumors of a large fiend with taste of chocobo, she advise the party to take care if they rented one. The fiend might appear and they might get in trouble. After the report she bit her farewell and safe journey and left, giving the reports to all those she encounter.

Tidus like the idea of fighting the large fiend, for him it was the right thing to do. Auron laugh at him, Tidus remember him of Jecht. When he said that it always meant trouble for Brasaka and Auron. Tidus didn't say a word, he didn't want to be his father, he hated him. Turning into the man he hates wasn't a good idea.

Alreadyhalf of Mi'ihen road, they encounter yet another strange lady. She was standing in front of another ancient structure. She wears a green dress with different types of kept looking directly at Yuna as if inviting her to talk, Yuna felt this weird sensation and without haste she walks towards the strange lady regardless of what Auron said. He didn't like the idea but Yuna still wanted to talk to the lady. The lady skin was fair, dark eyes and brunette hair drawn into yellow caul surrounded by ornaments on the side of her head.

"A summoner and her guardians." The strange woman said as she looked at the party walk towards her. Yuna could see that she too was a summoner. "My name is Belgemine." She continue. She awknoledge Yuna for being the High Summoner Lord Braska's daughter. She wanted to teach something to Yuna, she could see that Yuna was just starting and with her experience in the field, she might as well have something good to teach. "Let us see which are stronger. My aeons or yours. A one-on-one match. Not to the death of course. What do you say?"

Yuna bowed her head; she was more than happy to have someone teach her more things than what she knows. Belgemine seems to be a strong summoner. The party steps back and Belge-mine summoned her aeon first. Fire erupted from the ground, forming a circle. From the ground a beast broke loose. The demonic entity had long horns; its hair seems to be fire itself. Ifrit was her summon. "As summoners, we can only summon one entity at a time; in this case you won't be able to summon Ifrit since I already summoned it." Belgemine said.

Yuna understood and she summoned her first aeon. From the sky above, the flying aeon came soaring. Valefor seems to be stronger than before. "The aeon one summons is only as strong as the summoner. If a summoner is weak, so too is the aeon. For example, If I were stronger than you, then my Ifrit is stronger than the one you cast. But we can only know that by fighting…." Belgemine completed.

The two aeon clash, Tidus was amazed of the power of those beasts. This was the first time he sees two aeons clash in battle. Belgemine's Ifrit seems to be really powerful, it was overwhelming Yuna's Valefor. Hell's like fire surrounded Valefor, Yuna strengths seems to weaken. "It seems you got a long way to go lady Yuna." Belgemine close her eyes, it was time to finish the battle. Ifrit punch trough the ground and pulled a giant rock. He aimed it at Valefor but Yuna wasn't going to give up, she called out to Valefor and this one counter attack. When Ifrit launch the rock, Valefor waited for it, charging her laser attack. The rock was right next to her face and in that split second Valefor launches her laser attack cutting in half the rock and giving a direct hit to Ifrit. Defeating him.

The party kept walking; Tidus could see the end of the long Highroad. No wonder he thought that people rent chocobo to pass this road. It was really long. There a woman and a child were looking at the vast green land. The child, her short brunette hair reaches her shoulders, fair skin. The child looked at Yuna, in that moment her eyes sparkled with hoe and dreams. She knew she was a sumoner. She ran towards her, asking Yuna if she was a summoner and if she was going to bring the calm. Tidus could see how Yuna brings hope in the children, this calm that they so desire, Yuna will bring it to them. The girl named Calli was full of joy, meeting a summoner, the one that will bring the calm, made her proud.

 _Even for a little while...people can sleep in their beds without being afraid. That kind of time is worth anything. Don't say it isn't worth it. Your words that day, Yuna - I remember them well._

Almost at the end of the road, they reach a rest stop, an AlBhed Shop. Sir Auron wanted them to rest; Wakka wasn't so sure about it. Yuna support Auron's decision, they needed the rest. All the walking, the problems back at Luca; they haven't got time to breath. The party went to bed, Wakka didn't wanted to go inside, his hatred towards the Al Bhed clearly showing without restrain. Tidus couldn't sleep, even though he was tired, there was too much in this world that he didn't know about. So many things to learn, so little time to investigate. He walks outside, amazed by the beautiful sunset behind the ancient pieces of ruins at the sea.

The sky giving brilliant colors of orange and blue; combining themselves to portrait the most beautiful scenario that man will ever see. The sun just behind the ancient two pillars that were connected by a bridge, it perfect round shape reflected in the vast ocean. Even the blue colors of the water had change , reflecting the sky above it. The water sparkles with such beauty that Fairy tales seems real.

 _That sunset was different from the one I saw in Kilika.  
It was quiet - almost gentle._

After snapping from the hypnotizing sky, Tidus walks towards Yuna who was sitting on the hillside. She too was hypnotized by the beautiful and peaceful place. She wanted this moment to last, to live in a place where she could smile every day.

"Pretty…" Her voice trail off, even though she was happy to see such scenario, for some reason Tidus could feel pain in her words, almost as if she will miss it.

"Sure is."

"I wish I could live in a place like this, peaceful, living with a smile on my face every day…" Tidus looked at her; he didn't understood why she was talking as if she wasn't going to see a place like this after she defeats Sin. She sure will, he will make sure of it.

"You can, once you beat Sin, right?"

"But then a new Sin will be born anyways…" She looked at him, she could see that Tidus have no idea on what's going on in Spira, he was clueless.

"Well then, you can just beat it again." He said smiling. For him, Yuna was the best summoner he had seen. Her aeons are strong and with the final aeon she sure will do it.

"I wish I could…"

Tidus looked at her, he didn't know why she was sad, maybe is because she is missing so much in this journey. So many people in this world that are living their life, and she has to go on a pilgrimage to destroy a monster, risking her life. Maybe for him she was sad for all those people who had lost so many loved ones. "Hey, you can! Trust me! You are the best summoner out there! Yuna, why does Sin always come back?"

"Sin is our punishment for our vanity. And it will not go away until we've atoned." She looked away, thinking on how

"How do we do that? What did we do that was so bad in the first place?" Back in Zanarkand machina were a blessing. Many people were happy that machina existed; they were the reason as to why they could have more fun. Tidus didn't understand why machina were all that bad, they helped in the daily life of people, make things easier. "Was it using lots of machine or something? Oh... Wait; was that such a bad thing, really?"

"It's funny... "Yuna closed her eyes, she had always believed in the teaching of Yevon but never question it. "Ever since I was young, I never questioned it. But now that you ask me if it is that bad or not...I don't know. There are so many things I don't know."

"Well then, we're the same! Such thinking is very unbecoming of a summoner! Sound like Mika?" Tidus imitate Maester Mika way of speaking. Yuna laugh, She felt the soft breeze of the wind travel through her skin, swiftly touching her hair.

"That's not very nice, you know!"

"You know... During a game, you have to think of blitz and nothing else, you know?" Yuna nodded, trying to follow what Tidus was saying. "You can't think, 'That's a cute girl in the fifth seat from the right.' And you can't be thinking about where you're going on that date, because the minute you do, that's when you lose! You see, uh, Yuna, what I mean is, you shouldn't worry, you know? After we beat Sin, that's when you can worry about the future."

Yuna nodded, she kind of understand what he was saying .think on the pilgrimage and then think about the world, but only if he knew. "But…" Tidus continue. "Yuna, how are you supposed to beat something big like that?"

"The Final Summoning. It's the only way to defeat Sin. The only way…" She whispered on her breath, if there were another way, a final resolution to this conflict that had endured for years and years; a way to kill it permanently and live in peace, an eternal calm. "With it, we can call the Final Aeon. That's the goal of the pilgrimage. The Fayth of the Final Summoning lies waiting in the far north, to greet summoners that complete their pilgrimage. At the world's edge...in Zanarkand."

Tidus looked at her, he thought, in Zanarkand, but he was told that it was just ruins, that the place was destroyed thousands of years ago. He didn't understand, how can they obtained the final summon in a deserted and abandoned place. "She means the ruins of a city destroyed a thousand years ago." Auron steps in and enlightened Tidus thoughts. Tidus still was skeptical that his Zanarkand was in ruins, if truly Sin… no his father sent him thousand years into the future then…

"You'll see it for yourself soon enough. Yuna, come back inside." Auron walks into the Al Bhed tent, Yuna and Tidus stayed behind for a little bit.

Yuna walks towards the tent, her strength fading away slowly, she needed to rest. "You will go with us…" She stops and slightly turns her head to see Tidus answer. "To Zanarkand.?" Tidus nodded, he needed to see it with his own eyes. To be sure.

 _I knew it couldn't be my Zanarkand… But I had to make sure…_

Tidus walks back inside, he too was tired and wanted to rest. He bumps with Rin, the owner of the shop who invited him to learn the Al Bhed language giving him a dictionary. Moments later a woman shouted in the tent, pleading help for the chocobos.

At the chocobo corral, there was a large fiend that the party had never seen. It huge and long hands grabbed a chocobo and was about to eat it. It has blue skin and what seems to be shell for shoulder shield. It opened it mouth to eat the chocobo with one bite, twisting its tongue around the big yellow bird. The party shouted and Auron stepped in between the beats and the bird and slice its leg forcing the fiend to let go.

"Let's kill this beast!" Auron said as Lulu let go of her moogle and starts to cast her spell. The moogle doing the same move as its owner does, electricity surrounding her and launching it towards the beast. The fiend let go of the bird and put its attention to its attacker. It screech, opening its mouth wide, Tidus ears hurt as he tried to cover them. Wakka jumps as high as he could and launch his bliztball towards the beast silencing him.

"Thanks." Tidus shouted to Wakka, he grabbed his brotherhood sword and dash towards the beast ignoring Auron's warning. The beast turned to looked at the young boy who was about to be his next meal. The fiend jumps back and grabbed Tidus with its large hands. Kimahri jumps towards him and pierce the fiends hand with his lance, forcing the fiend to let Tidus go. Tidus regained his composure and slice as hard and fast as he could, all his anger and hatred towards the beast into one single blow, slicing the beast hand. The large hand fell into the ground as Auron appeared from the back of Tidus and slicing the other hand.

The beast looked at them and screeches, the scream created a wave that pushes the party back, but Yuna acted fast and cast a shell and a mirror spell on each of the party, protecting them from any harm. The beast looked confuse and tried to run away, but Kimahri had already took flight and pierce the beast from the top of the head all the way to the bottom, finishing with the beast.  
Tidus fell to the ground, he had never face anything like it, Auron walks beside him and grabbed his shirt and pull him into his feet. "Don't ever engage without a plan." He let Tidus go and walk away. Auron was sure mad, Tidus almost died because of his lack of experience in the battlefield. The rest of the party walks back to the tent, exhausted with the image of a nice and comfortable bed in their minds. Tidus stayed behind, he just wanted to help, and he thought he did good, at least he slice one off a hand of the beast.

"He may not express it." Lulu started to say without anyone asking her. "But he seems to care about you, he did say he promise your father after all." She walks slowly towards the tent and stopped. "Do think before you act…" She walks into the tent in silence.

The party woke up the next day, their strength had been regained. Tidus woke up late as usual and the party was already outside. They rented Rin's chocobo, he had let them use it for this time free of charge for saving them from the fiend. The party traveled to the road once again, this time it was different than the highroad. It was more of a cliff, only one chocobo could pass at a time. Even though it was narrowed, for Tidus it was incredible. The nature feels so peaceful, it is hard for him to believe that Sin exist when he simply can feel the peace in the air. At the end of the road, in the entrance of Mushroom Rock Road, he saw some crusaders with large cages and fiends inside. Luzu and Gatta were on a cart, they didn't notice the party that had arrived as well.

"Gatta and Luzzu reporting, sir!" Gatta said with a strong soldier sound.

"This is the last of them." Luzu completed.

The crusader soldier examine the cart and verify a checklist in his hand, he verified that everything was all right and mark on the board and sign a paper and provided it to Luzu. "Good to have you with us, Go on through!" The crusader said and motion to others crusaders to open the gate. Luzzu and Gatta went through the gate and later it was close once more.

Tidus tried to follow Gatta and Luzzu but the crusader in front of the gate stopped him. He explained that nobody could go in. Yuna approach and asks why, the soldier explained that they were bringing sinspawn from all over Spira, this was to draw Sin and lure it into a trap. Auron looked at them, do they know of the danger that they are walking right into? To lure Sin is simply a suicide.

The party walks few steps thinking what they should do next. Either they wait till the mission works, or they go back and find another way… but there is no other way Lulu acknowledge. Yuna went again to ask how much will it take for the preparations and the mission to be fulfilled, the crusaders stated about an hour or so, if Sin appears and everything go as plan. The party waited patiently, time fly by, Tidus kept looking under the curtain of some cages to see the different types of fiends the crusaders had captured. There were around hundred of cages there, he couldn't imagine how much were inside. But the cage that Luzzu and Gatta brought was bigger than all of them, probably a big fiend or something.

Almost an hour passes but no words or any commotion. Probably things had taken more time than usual, Auron thought that it was best if they headed back to the Al Bhed tent and rest over there, it would be better than waiting there without any news and being so close around so much fiends might not be a good idea. If they were to escape or something goes wrong, they don't want to be caught in the problem.

Donna and Bartello appeared, they wanted to go through as well but the crusaders didn't let her. It got to her nerves; they were preventing her from going on her pilgrimage. She saw Yuna but ignored her, even though Yuna didn't said it, they were racing to see who was the one to defeat Sin. Yuna or Donna, two summoners with the passion and desire to bring the calm to the people of Spira once more, to have their names written in history as strong woman who fought against the monster that terrorized humanity. Yuna, who has to keep up with her father's legacy, Donna whose name is not recognized but she will do anything in her power to be remembered.

Kimahri was sitting down on a rock, his eyes close meditating, Tidus asks Wakka what was the problem with Kimahri, probably thought that he couldn't speak, since they met in Besaid, Kimahri hasn't said a word, not even when the other Ronso bothered Kimahri and attack him at the bar. Wakka explained that he does speak but never do. He prefers to stay silent and protect Yuna; it is his mission since he promise it. Yuna sees him as a paternal figure, and Kimahri sees her as a daughter. That is why he is so overprotective.

The party decided to head back, against Wakka better judgment, it was bad enough for him to sleep one day on an Al Bhed settlement, but another night was a curse. Maybe he thought he did something wrong and Yevon is punishing him for something. Tidus couldn't understand why he was so blind against the Al Bhed, sure they may be crazy in some ways and some of them acted wrong during the tournament, but not all of them are that bad.

As Auron take the lead, a familiar figure emerges from the far end. A man with long blue hair and arms dressed with a beautiful sky tunic with scarlet decoration around other person next to the familiar face. It was none other than Maester Seymour Guado, walking swiftly towards the gate. He stops and looked at Yuna, smiling, it was nice to see her face again. Yuna bowed before Seymour, it was an honor to have a Maester in front of her.

"So we meet again, Lady Yuna." His voice soft and sweet, a terrible melody of the night. Tidus thought for a second that he had things hidden; nobody could be such a good person without wanting something else. Maester Seymour, who was this guy Tidus thought and he looked at Auron and he too tried to ignored the Guado in front of them.

"Y-Yes?" Yuna felt a weird sensation in her head, he remembers her name, a maester remembering a simple summoners name…

Seymour looked at her, he could see something strange in her face, like if something was missing or troubling her. "You look troubled. Is there anything I can do?" He extended his hand as a sign of comfort.

Yuna turned her head slowly, she wanted to go beyond the gates, to continue her journey and fulfill her pilgrimage. She wanted to go on, its been an hour since they had arrived at the gate but no permission has been granted. Another day they waste is another day that Sin might attack an innocent island…

Seymour understood what she was trying to say, he understood pretty well and moved without saying anything else. "I see."

The crusader on the gate look sharp as the maester approach him, he quickly started to provide updates on the mission and to guide him towards the center. "Maester Seymour, let me show you to the command center."

Seymour raised his hand to hush the crusader in order to speak. "Hold. I have a request." The crusader stopped and looked at the maester in front of him. Even though his voice was sweet and gentle, the command was strong and powerful. As if his eyes froze the crusaders with just one glance. "I need to have Summoner Yuna and her guardians let through to the command center."

"But…" The crusader started to say, it was against the rule, nobody but the Maesters should be in the command rules, what would his superiors says if they found out. "Maester Seymour, sir."

Seymour patted the crusaders arm; he closed his eyes and looked directly into the crusaders eyes. Even though the crusader had a helmet, he felt his paralyzing gaze right into his very core. "Do not worry. I will take full responsibility."

The crusader gave up, a Maester command goes beyond those of any crusader superior. He bowed his head as to apologized. "Very well. They may pass." Raising his head, the crusader move out of the way and beckoned the party to pass.

Seymour turned towards Yuna. "It is done." He smiled at her; this sends shivers down Tidus spine. He thought for a second, was he jealous of the Guado, was Yuna simply being kind to him or is there something else.

Yuna bowed her head in respect to the Maester that had granted her and her Guardians permission to enter. "Thank you, Your Grace." Yuna kept bowing his head without noticing that Maester Seymour had already left. Donna looked at Yuna from a distance, she was angry. Just because Yuna is famous she can obtained things easily. She walks away, there was no possibility for her to pass the gates, and she didn't have high friends like Yuna does. Yuna look back, she saw the image of Donna walking away, she felt bad for her. If only she could help her pass the gates but she didn't dare asks that to Maester Seymour, it was just too much to have him grant permission for them to pass.


	7. Chapter 7 Operation Mi'ihen

Chapter VII  
Operation Mi'hen

Seymour walks towards some crusaders that were waiting for him. As they saw him they bowed their head. They were being blessed by Yevon with the support of a Maester. "All hail Maester Seymour!"

"Brave Crusaders of Spira, protectors of all Spira." Seymour started to say, his speech reach those who brave enough ventures into the desolation of horror of the monster Sin. Those who dare face it in order to bring peace and kill the beast once and for all. "Believe in the path you have chosen, let faith be your strength! I, Seymour Guado, maester of Yevon, will bear witness to your deeds today."

The crusaders put their left hand in their chest. "Sir!" Their hopes filled once again, the blessing of a Maester was an honor. This day will mark history as the day the crusaders challenge Sin.

Wakka couldn't believe what he was seeing, a Maester approving the use of machine in order to fight Sin. "What's goin' on? Why's Maester Seymour backing the Crusaders, eh? They're using the Al Bhed's machina! They're violating the teachings!" He couldn't believe it, it was forbidden to use machines, the crusader knows it, Maester Seymour knows it, even the Al Bhed knows it. But still why.

Yuna turns towards him, she could understand why Maester Seymour was approving the use of machine and why he was giving the crusaders his blessing. "Even going against the teachings they're willing to risk it for the greater good." She started to say, scolding Wakka for his misjudgment, not everything is about following the rules and living in fear, sometimes you got to break the rules in order to win. "Wakka, I think Maester Seymour sees that, too."

Wakka turned to Lulu, trying to find help in his argued about the topic. "Lulu?" But Lulu didn't follow, she too was skeptical of Yevon's teaching.

"Hmm..." Lulu looked closely as Maester Seymour walks away from the crusaders, the crusaders following the plan and walks towards the battlefield, weapons in hand, machines next to them, even some Al Bhed walking amongst the crusaders. "I can only speculate."

Auron was tired of Wakka's religious tantrum always bursting when something is against Yevon's teaching. It was time for him to grow up, to understand the real world beyond the religion. "Ask him yourself."

Seymour walks over them, he wanted Yuna next to him, and so she could see the mission first hand. "Ah, Sir Auron. It is an honor." It was the first time that Seymour speaks directly to Auron, even though he spoke with respect, there was certain distaste in his tone that Auron or Tidus liked. "I would be most interested in hearing what you've been doing these past ten years."

Auron didn't look at Seymour, like if he wasn't even there and still he answered him with such disrespect that even Tidus jaw drop. "I've got nothing to say about it." He walk away from him, ignoring his presence completely. Tidus loved Auron bad ass attitude towards the Maester.

Seymour stood there silently, his eyes flickered with something somewhat of anger but maintain his composure. "I...see. Sir Auron must be a great asset as a guardian." He tried to sound casual as he spoke towards Yuna. Trying hard to hold the grudge he held towards Auron, he may be a legendary Guardian but that is no way to treat a Maester of Yevon and leader of the Guado race.

Yuna bowed her head, but Seymour request her to stop the formalities, even though he is a Maester he is still a summoner like Yuna. Wakka interrupted Seymour, he wanted to know why he was there, why he was supporting the crusaders when they were using machine. So many questions he wanted to ask the Maester but he couldn't find the words when he spoke. "Excuse me... Maester Seymour? Why is your Lordship...presently... present here...sir?"

Seymour and everybody else there didn't understand what Wakka just said. He froze and didn't know what to say or what to do, it was the first time he direct himself to a maester. "Please," Seymour begin, he wanted them to talk to him as if he was another person, being treated as a Maester with such respect sometimes it gets boring and tiresome. "Speak as you normally would."

Wakka organized his ideas to complete a full sentence at least. "Isn't this operation against the teachings of Yevon? Aren't you gonna stop them?"

Seymour aknowledge what Wakka was saying, but he answered his question trying to provide as much information as possible, to make him understand as to why he is there, providing moral support to the crusaders and the Al Bhed. "It's true... I should. However..." He search in his mind for the right words to say to Wakka, he could see in his eyes that he felt betrayed by a Maester of Yevon. "Both the Crusaders and the Al Bhed truly wish peace for Spira. This Operation Mi'ihen was born from that wish they share. Although it may be sacrilege to Yevon, their intentions are pure. And I, Seymour Guado - the person, not the maester of Yevon... As a denizen of Spira, I wish them well in their endeavor."

Wakka still couldn't understand, the use of machine is prohibited, the crusaders shouldn't be using them. "But, using machina... That's bad, isn't it?"

"Pretend you didn't see them." Seymour said flatly, Wakka opened his eyes wide in disbelief. A Maester of Yevon saying that was just too much for him to bear.

"Beg your pardon, but that's not something a maester should say!"

"Then, pretend I didn't say it." Seymour grew tired of so many people thinking what is best for Spira and what they should not do or say. Wakka is another follower who doesn't think for themselves. He thought Seymour was kidding, how he could simply say it like that. It must be a sin or something, disrespecting the teaching of Yevon simply for a dream or wish between the crusaders and the Al Bhed. No matter how pure it may be, the teaching should be respected. Seymour walk away towards the command center, leaving Wakka with thousands of questions in his mind.

 _From the first time I laid eyes on him, I never did like Seymour... But you know, some of the things he said that day... They made a lot of sense to me._

The party walks on the Mushroom Road, now that they had been granted access they can continue on with the pilgrimage. As they walk silently, ignoring Wakka's tantrum about Maester Seymour disrespect for the teaching. Clasko appeared in front of them. "Excuse me, Lady Summoner Yuna?" He asks, he kind of remember Yuna from before, but wasn't so sure, he didn't had the chance to speak with her when he and his captain were patrolling Mi'ihen Highroad.

Yuna responded and stop, waiting for the young crusader message. "The command center... Maester Seymour requests your presence there, ma'am." He finished, he tried to remember the message by heart, his mind almost to explode but he did it.

Yuna bows her head, their journey will have a brief stop, maybe just maybe the crusaders might do it and she will witness their success. If they manage to kill Sin, then her journey will be over and she will be free to enjoy the sunset and the soft breeze of the wind surfing through her skin.

"Take that road to the command center. It's not far. We're still in the midst of preparations this way. Sorry." He pointed the way for the party to reach the command center, the main road was block. They still had preparations and nobody has access to the main road towards Djose.

The party walks across some rocky mountains towards the Command center. They took several elevators, Wakka eyes were gazing the different cannons. His mind still arguing about the use of machina. They notice a priestess talking to some crusaders, she was blocking their way. The group could see that the crusader were restraining themselves from harming the priestess, but their patience was gaining on them.

"This is against Yevon's teaching!" The priestess said, she wanted this to stop; Wakka heard her and immediately went by her side. She thinks the same way as he did and he was going to support her. She spotted Yuna and quickly bows to her. "Lady Yuna it is an honor to meet you." She looks at Yuna with hope that she too was going to assist her in preventing the crusaders from attempting suicide and going against the teaching. "As you can see, I am unable to stop them." She said with a soft and sad voice. She seems to had been trying so hard to convince them that this operation was wrong. "But… seeing how decided they were I stayed here, I couldn't just abandoned them, if I can't convince them then I can at least heal them if they get into trouble."

"Thanks uhm…" Yuna started to say but she didn't know her name.

"Shelinda miss Yuna."

Thanks Shelinda, even though it's against the teaching, our job is to aid them as best as we can." Yuna continue saying, anything that brings hope to the people of Spira is acceptable for her. "The people of Spira need a new hope, something that can bring joy to their family, if this operation can do that then… it is right to go against the teaching and do what we can to secure our freedom from Sin." Those words, Yuna place her soul in those words; Tidus had never heard her talking that way. Sin has truly destroyed many people.

"You… you are right lady Yuna…" Shelinda thought for a second, hope unify people, today it had united two nations against one cause. "Thanks Lady Yuna, I will do my best." She bows again and left. The party kept walking towards the command center.

Reaching the last elevator to the summit, where the control room lay, Luzzu and Gatta were guarding the elevator. But, there was something wrong. "Why you alone? I too want to fight!" Gatta shouted at Luzzu, he wanted to prove himself, to fight Sin and help destroy the beast.

"Orders are orders…" Luzzu said flatly, his voice deep and serious, but deep down he was protecting Gatta. He had grown fond of the boy and letting him fight, without knowing the rate of success is not an option.

"I'm not a cadet anymore." Gatta shouted, his anger rising, he wasn't a boy anymore; he was a grown up man, a warrior a crusader for Yevon and Spira. "Let me go with you and I will prove it to them."

Luzzu put his hand on Gatta's shoulder. His eyes looking at not the crusader in front of him but at the boy who once wanted get strong and defend the people, he see the hope in his eyes but didn't dare let him go. "Defending the post too is an important job."

Luccu's words anger Gatta, it was his right to fight, his duty to defeat Sin. "But I can all this way from Besaid to fight Sin."

"I know, but orders are orders, back to your post crusader." Luzzu said flatly, he was tired of fighting against him. Tidus heard the conversation, he didn't know either of them for too long but that was no way to treat someone.

"Poor Gatta…" He walks towards Luzzu, he was his mentor and he had to know how Gatta feels. "He deserves better…"

"At least there is no chance to get hurt." Wakka interrupted. "Why you guys fighting anyways, aren't the all mighty Al Bhed machine enough.?

"There still need some time to get them ready." Luzzu answered Wakka's question, they grew up with each other. "Our job is to keep Sin at bay till they are done." Wakka got mad; he turned his back at Luzzu, his childhood friend. "Wakka…" Luzzu continue, there was something he wanted to take out of his chest, something that's been bothering him for so long. "I might not get another chance to say this, is about your brother."

"Luzu no" Lulu got in the way, she knew what Luzzu was about to tell Wakka, and she knew it would make Wakka mad.

"What"

"I'm the one to convince him to enlist" Wakka eyes widened, he couldn't believe what he just heard. Luzzu, one oof his childhood best friend was the one who pressure his brother to join the crusaders. Because of him, his brother is dead. "I'm sorry." Luzzu finished, he was prepared to receive the hatred of Wakka.

Wakka turned, his lips curled, eyes red in rage and tears. He had blamed himself for his brother death, maybe he pressure him so much, taking the role of a father and brother at the same time made his brother want to escape and become a crusader but no it wasn't his fault. Wakka quickly turned and punch Luzzu in the face. Tidus quickly grabbed him, preventing Wakka from jumping on Luzzu who hold his head afraid it could fall.

"When we use to play blitz together chappu…" Wakka's voice breaking, rasping his throat as the words travels outside of his mouth. "Chappu use to say…" His memories of his brother, flashing into his mind, he had buried those memories deep inside, making the pain more bearable but now, the pain had emerge once more, his heart aching, breaking in two as those freshly memories hunts him once more. "He say that when we won the cup he propose to Lulu…" His brother face came to his mind as he said it. _Hey Wakka, let's win the cup, and then I'll propose to Lulu and make her proud._ "And then one day he becomes a crusader."

"Chappu also said to me." Luzzu, now standing up struggled to maintain balance. "That being with your girl is good, but keeping Sin far away from her its better." Lulu heard his voice, his message, those words that Chappu said, she remembers when Luzzu told her, before they went away.

"Lu… you knew?" Wakka felt betrayed by the one he had always loves.

"Luzzu told me, before we left."

"She hit me too!" Luzzu laugh, remembering the hand marked in his face. He walk away, it was time for all crusaders to assemble at the beach. Yuna got in his way, she didn't want him to go, she too love him as a brother, they all grew up together and watching him walk into danger like that wasn't right.

"Let him go…" Auron spoke at last. "The man had already chosen his path, as you did when you became a summoner." Yuna lower her head, she understood what Auron said but still…

 _It will be a long time,  
before I ever really understood the reason why Yuna let Luzzu pass that day._

They reach the top of the mushroom rock, the command center; there they could see the vast beach where it was buzzing with Crusaders activity. They were placing the sin spawn around the beach. There were thousands of them, since when the crusaders and Al Bhed had been planning this strike against Sin.

Cannons decorated the mountain and the beach. Crusaders working with them, giving it the final touch. Loading the weapons, preparing their guns, everything was going according to plan. Wakka looked at them with disgust. "Curse these...!" He kick one of the cannons and hurt his foot.

"He really hates them, huh?" Tidus looked at Lulu, so much hatred for something material.

"Chappu..." Lulu started to say, remembering the day Chappu joined the crusaders. "He left the sword Wakka gave him in Besaid. And he fought with an Al Bhed machina weapon instead."

"That's got nothing to do with it! I just hate these sacrilegious contraptions!" Wakka shouted, rubbing his right foot toes.

They looked at the beach, all those soldiers ready to fight, to lay their life for the greater good. "It won't work anyway." He said, fighting against Sin with such weapons isn't worth it. Sin can only be killed with the final aeon and he will only disappeared if humanity atone for their sins.

"Don't say that." Yuna interrupted. Some crusaders were taking some of the lesser fiends and feeding them to a bigger scorpion like fiend. "It might be a hopeless campaign, and it might mean defying Yevon... But the Crusaders and the Al Bhed - they're doing their best to defeat Sin. They want to rid Spira of Sin forever. And that's just what we want, too, isn't it? Isn't it?"

"Hmph! All right, all right! But I still think machina are bad news! They're forbidden for a reason!"

A lady crusader appeared. She brought news that Maester Kinoc was at the command center and that she should head there as soon as she can." She pointed the direction towards the tent. It was the only tent worthy of someone of important there. She escorted the party towards the tent. Gatta was there too, but he wasn't happy. His face shows sadness and anger at the same time. He wanted to prove himself, to fight for honor, not be a message boy. But Auron words change his mind, if he wanted to prove himself, he first has to complete the task that he is given. If he can't follow a simple order, then he is not worthy to be called a crusader. Gatta looked at Auron, the legendary Guardian was right. Even though he still wants to fight, he has to complete the task given to him and then maybe then, if things get heat up, he can join the fight.

The party walks inside the command center. Kinoc was sitting in a throne and as soon as he saw the party, more in particular Auron, he stood up and walks towards them and hugged Auron. "I'd heard from Seymour, but I didn't know if we'd actually meet. Good to see you, Auron! Ten years, is it?"

Lulu bends to Tidus ear to explained who the bald chubby man with long monk cloth and golden robes. "That's Wen Kinoc, one of the Four Maesters of Yevon. He leads the warrior monks and also commands the Crusaders."

Gatta appeared running behind the tent. "All troops ready to move at your command, sir!" His voice now more commanding and strong than before.

"Good. Dismissed." Kinoc responded without even looking at Gatta. Seymour had walk beside them. "Tell me, Auron. Where have you been the last ten years?"

"We don't have time for this now, do we?"

"This plan won't work, you know that. We'll just let them dream a little longer." Kinoc said, his voice trailed off and confuse Tidus. If he knew that the plan won't work why are they still going through it?

"Lord Kinoc..." Seymour appeared from behind, as trying to stop him to discuss further.

"Oh, yes. Proceed." Maester Kinco walk back to his thrnone like chair. Auron walk away, he couldn't believe that Kinoc had become a maester; he never had what it takes to be one.

"That Kinoc, a maester?"

"I heard that, Auron." Kinoc walks towards Auron. "A lot has happened in the last ten years. What were you doing, and where?"

"Fulfilling a promise I made to a friend. I still am." Auron walks away, he had nothing else to talk with a maester but Kinco stops him.

"Just tell me one thing: Have you seen Zanarkand?" Auron didn't reply, it wasn't his business to know what he was doing. Yuna felt the awkward tension in the air, surely they didn't belong there.

A crusader appeared. "It is time at last. We must tell the Al Bhed waiting outside to begin the operation at once. The fiends may break through. This place is not safe. Make sure you're prepared to defend yourselves. Tell me when you're ready." Maester Seymour and Kinoc walks towards the edge of the cliff. Their eyes gazing on all those people who had come to challenge Sin. Tidus walks towards Yuna, she needed him, needed someone to stay by her side till the operation ends. If what Maester Kinoc says is true, then many people will die today.

Yuna was skeptical about Sin coming to gets its Sin Spawn. Would it work she asks the crusader in charge. He state that Sin always goes back for his spawns. But to make sure, they will force the Sin Spawn to call out their master. Auron barge in, for him, Sin will come sooner than expected.

 _I remembered Auron telling me.  
Sin is my old man. Sin is Jecht._

Maester Kinoc gave the sign; the crusaders prepare themselves for the arrival of Sin. The enormous triangle cave that was right in front of them, hanging in the air with chains strap to its side started to emits electricity. The crusaders were shocking the Sins spawn, making it call Sin. Everyone waited patiently, their hearts racing, some of the crusaders were trembling, their legs giving up, but they never forgot why they were there. To defeat Sin. Tidus and the rest of the party were intrigued. What sort of weapon does the Al Bhed has that may kill Sin? If they were so confident in their weapon, then it must be powerful.

The cage door opened, the Sin Span was angrier because of the shock that the crusaders gave it. It jumps towards the first thing it saw and it jump towards Yuna and her guardians. The monster was similar to a scorpion, instead of pincers for hands, it had two huge shield that protected the center of the body. On top there was the head. It attacked Yuna but Kimahri got in its way, protecting her with his spear. The beast launch its attack and auron appeared from behind slicing one of the shields it has. Now with just one shield left, Kimahri and Tidus both jumps towards the hand that was left and slice it.

Now with its weak spot uncovered, Lulu and Wakka attacked the head while Auron, Kimahri and Tidus attacked the center of the body. Yuna casting her white magic, protecting the party with an invisible shield to protect them from the poison the monster spits.

The monster screech and dash towards the party but Auron and Kimahri manage to hold it back while Lulu cast her fire spell on Tidus sword as he tried to slash the head of fiend but miss. Yuna feared for their safety and she called upon the help of the aeons. She had never tried calling more than one aeon but she whispered their names. "Valefor, Ifrit help us." Light spread the clouds in the heavens while fire surrounded Yuna. Valefor came rushing down to the earth as Ifrit came from hell, bursting the ground.

Both Aeons looked at each other and then at the beast. They nodded and Ifrit ran towards the fiend, his mouth filled with fire he scorch the monster. Valefor in the sky charging her laser attack, the monster hit Ifrit and send him back flying. Yuna strength rapidly was being drained, she barely has the strength to call the strength of one aeon but calling two was much difficult for her. Valefor stop charging at it notice that her body was fading. Ifrit looked back and charged his fire, he too was fading, Yuna can't control both of them at the same time. The beast attack Ifrit, clenching its claws around Ifrit's neck.

Yuna fell to her knees, Tidus ran towards her, he put her hand on her shoulder, she look up. The boy from Zanarkand was giving her strength, but it wasn't enough. And then, Wakka, Lulu, Kimahri and Auron appeared around her. All of them giving her support and strength to maintain the summon. She stood up, looked at her aeons and shouted. "GO!"

Ifrit strength came back, now stronger than ever, it covered his body in flames forcing the fiend to let him go. Valefor once more charge its laser, while Ifrit charge his hellfire. Both aeons launch their attack at the same time; the explosion destroyed the beat, leaving no trail behind. The blast created a waved that pushed anyone near it, Yuna and the rest were protected by a shell Yuna manage to protect at the last moment just before as her strength leaves her.

The water turned black, something was headed their way. It looked like tentacles waving and slowly gaining ground. The sky had darkened; the crusaders prepare their swords and guns. Everybody was ready to fight. From the water the whale like beast appeared. Sin. As it got out of the water, it majestic presence was terrifying, as he ascend it created huge wave that crash the land. Lucil riding her chocobo unsheathed her sword and beckoned the crusaders to fight.

The crusaders started to shoot their cannons, it seems it didn't do much to Sin, but with each blast, pieces of Sin fell, forming Sins spawn. The crusaders on the shores attacked those fiends as they made their way to the beach. They needed to protect the Al Bhed machine as best they could. It was their only chance.

The party looked at the battle helplessly, they were too tired to fight, Yuna, whose' strength had faded; slowly she recovered wishing to see the battle ahead of her. Sin took the shield that protected him down. It was ready to attack, another blue shield appeared around him. Slowly growing, it emit strange lights all around him. The shield started to expand that covered the entire beach. Killing everything it touches in contact, a total annihilation.

Nothing was left in the shores, every life was disintegrated. The Sins spawn they had fought earlier had appeared once more. This time Seymour held his ground alone fighting the beast, Auron went to help him and Yuna with the low strength she has she want to help him destroy this fiend.

Seymour magic was incomparable, with every direct hit he made, the monster flinch, dying in contact. Yuna cast shell on them trying to protect them from any attack. Seymour kept casting firaga and Thundara, the great dark magic. This time, the monster was defeated quicker than before, clearly showing the difference in level between Seymour and the party.

Sin turned towards the great machine that was on its right. The giant Al Bhed weapon canalizing energy between two rods. Two Al Bhed inside the cabin of the weapon, were aiming directly at Sin, making sure that their one shot isn't missed. The Al Bhed in charge press the button, the electricity charged by the rods was fired directly at Sin. The large pulsed beam fought to pierce the shield that protected the beast. Many people gazed at the battle between machine and Sin. Yuna hoping that it works, crossing her fingers praying. The machine push harder now, launching more energy towards Sin, and when it seems the machine was overpowering Sin the shield blasted the machine, destroying and killing all those around it. Yuna looked heartbroken. It was futile; there was nothing they could do, so many life lost in that futile battle.

Now she understood, there is only one way to defeat Sin…

Tidus woke up, he was laying in the sand. Somehow the blast sent him flying towards the beach. At least he was all right. He slowly woke up, his eyes adjusting, gazing upon the horrors of reality. Death. Those that the blast didn't disintegrate where scattered, some may be recognized but others weren't. Tidus could see some legs calmly laying on the sand, its other part beneath a rock. Headless body, others without a part of arm or legs. The horror that occur that day, Tidus will remember it for the rest of his life.

Slowly he stood up, his body soaringwith pain, his head still vibrating. Tidus tried to remember what had happened, the last thing he could remember was the flash of light after Sin activated bright blue shield. After that, everything is a blur, but… it was true, Maester Kinoc and Seymour knew it and yet they allowed the crusaders and Al Bhed still go with the plan.

Tidus slowly walk, trying to figure out where he was, with each step it felts to him like thousand of needles were piercing his very existence. Those body that were intact he touch them, trying to see if they were still alive, but… no pulse, even though the bodies are still warmth. "Damn it." E whispered under his breath, his anger rising. "And all of this was you…"

He kept walking trying to find survivors, hoping, wishing that there was someone out there, at least one soul. Tidus saw movements, he quickly walks towards it and for his surprise, Gatta was on the floor, kneeling. His hands on his head, eyes close, struggling to understand what had just happened. His young mind couldn't comprehend the destruction that just occur, the all mighty Al Bhed and the crusaders… were all wiped out.

"What's going on?" Gatta's voice broke, clenching his feast and holding his chest as if his heart was about to escape its cage. "Why… What's going on?" He shouted, his eyes filled with tears and pain. Tidus couldn't bear the scene, he had never seen something like this. His entire life he had lived in a city where there was no pain like this. Everyone was happy, everyone was strong. No war, no monster destroying lives. It was just Zanarkand and its people. Why… why…

He closed his eyes, flashes of his house drifting away slowly. As if it was just a distant memory. Sin looked around, his eyes gazing at the ocean, no more to destroy, no more to kill, its job has ended. Slowly it turned away, leaving Mushroom Rock road beach. Its giant body disappearing in the water like if he was never there. Tidus got mad, it was his fathers fault everything was his fault.

His mother pain, his childhood pain, everything. He remembers how his mother stop eating when Jecht disappeared. How she ignore her son completely because she spend her days looking at the door, hoping that it will opened and her husband would just walk in saying 'sorry for the delay'. Now it is his fault, somehow he became Sin, and now he can't control himself, he kept attacking and destroying others people lives.

"Don't you run away from me!" Tidus shouted, his heart bursting, hitting the prison which it laid. He starts to run towards the water, his mind set to settle the score with his father. He swims and swims deep inside, he didn't care his father was a monster, he needed to fight him… to see him.

Yuna looked at all those souls, sad souls, angry souls. She felt pity on them, she felt sad. She raised her staff, she didn't care it was too much for her to handle but she needed to send them, to let them rest in peace. "Everyone, stand back I'll send." Waterfalls like tears rush from her eyes. Sin had proven himself; it cannot be defeated by other means. She wanted to bring at least peace to all those soul, to free them from becoming fiends.

"You won't hurt it." Seymour spoke, his voice strong and commanding. "Your powers are still… too weak." He tried to mask his voice, being gentle.

"But I." Yuna heart sank; it was her duty to perform the sending, to protect those souls, to guide them to the farplane to let them rest. "I must do something." Seymour shook his head, there wasn't anything that Yuna could do, and she wasn't strong enough. Yuna ignored his warning and commence the ritual. She didn't care if her life ended that day, but she must complete the sending, to must at least try for the sake of all those lost souls.

"You can't." His voice now strong towards Yuna, she turned to looked at him, she didn't understand why he was letting her do the sending. He too was a sumonner, he can help her send those souls but why isn't he helping her. Surely a maester of Yevon and summoner can do the ritual, but for some reason, he didn't help her.

Tidus kept swimming; he could see some cities resting in the bottom of the sea. No matter how fast he swim, Sin was already gone. Tidus stop, thinking what he was doing but he kept swimming towards Sin, he needed to reach him, to see his father.

 _I have no idea what I was thinking when I ran after Sin that day. But before I knew what I was doing, there I was chasing him down like a thief at market. Maybe I was angry. Maybe I wanted to go home. I kept thinking of Zanarkand, and my old man._

Tidus was engulf in a white light. He could see the vast and beautiful farplane, where the souls are sent to rest. The newly arrived crusaders were still running around like if they were in battle. They still haven't realized they were dead. Luzzu walks around and stops he understood his position, what had just happened. Then another flash clouded his eyes and he was standing in the houseboat. Now a child he remembers a day he argued with his father.

"What?" Asks Jecht.

"They say you don't train much," little Tidus said. "that you're gonna retire."

"Let them talk. I'm still the best." Jecht was lying down, a bottle of whiskey in his hand, his strength hardly help him to maintain the bottle tight.

"They say you're no good 'cause you drink all the time."

"I can quit drinkin' whenever I want!" Jecht lied himself, he knew he couldn't do it, drinking was the only way to solve his problem, to drown them and forget about it.

Tidus looked at his father, he wish he stop drinking, he wish to see him bright and strong again. To admire the once famous player of Zanarkand, Star of the people. But his drinking problem had made him just a common player and man. "Then do it now."

Jecht looked at his son, he couldn't tell between a suggestion or disrespect. "What did you say?" He screamed and tried to stand up, his hand ready to hit his son, to teach the boy some respect towards his father.

"You just said you can!" Tiduc quickly said, afraid of his father sudden movement.

"Heh." Jecht lay down, he couldn't stand up, he grabbed another zip of the whiskey and closed his eyes. "Tomorrow, maybe."

Tidus eyes were filled with sadness; his father was being taken from him slowly by alcohol. He wasn't acting normal and the worst part is, his mother is suffering the consequence. "Why not today?"

"Why do today what you can leave for tomorrow?" Tidus eyes couldn't control the tears anymore; he let it go, the pain and sorrow. His father wasn't coming back, the man in front of him isn't his father, someone had changed him, but this man wasn't his father. "There he goes again... crying!"

 _I thought I sensed my old man there.  
Somewhere... Or maybe it was just Sin's toxin playing tricks on my mind._

Tidus woke up at the beach, his mind rushing with memories and thoughts, this was not right. Everything about Sin, Spira was wrong. Yuna started dancing, she didn't hear Seymour's warning and continue dancing.

 _How many died today? People die, and Yuna dances. When will she stop dancing? When will it stop? Yuna won't stop dancing – not  
until Sin is gone. Those were my thoughts then...I think._

She finishes the ritual and started again, there were many souls that needed guidance. Many souls had lost hope and linger still in the living world. Yuna wants to help them rest.

"I see you're still here." Auron appeared from behind, his attitude still the same. The legendary guardian had seen so much in his life that this wasn't new to him. Tidus looked at him, he didn't know what to say or what to do, and his father was the culprit, the monster. "Many stories ended here today... But... Yours goes on, I see." Tidus and Auron looked away, the vast ocean, the souls parting to the farplane, Yuna dancing over and over.

 _Sin had come and gone, but I remained here._


End file.
